


Felinette Month

by a_6yearold_inside



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Felinette November 2019, Fluff, Lila salt, Non-Canon Relationship, felinette - Freeform, like a lot of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:21:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 26,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22020982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_6yearold_inside/pseuds/a_6yearold_inside
Summary: A collection for Felinette oneshots for Felinette November.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien/Kagami - Relationship, Felix Culpa/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Felix/Marinette, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/ Felix Culpa
Comments: 41
Kudos: 600





	1. Matchmaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette loses her crush on Adrien, and her friends, not knowing she’s gone on a date of her own, go berserk trying to set her up all week.

“You have got to be kidding me.” 

It was the week to end all weeks.

On Sunday, Marinette realized she had been over Adrien for months and had developed a much healthier crush on someone else, who asked her out later that day. 

On Monday, she told Alya and the girls she wasn’t interested in Adrien anymore, aptly leaving out the boy who had gone on a date with her. 

Tuesday through Friday, they had set her up on dates with what seemed like every eligible boy in Paris, including Adrien. 

Now it was Saturday, and the girls called her to meet up later and apologize for the surprise dates at a new café that had opened up near the bakery. 

When she entered, she expected to hear Rose’s squeals and the chatter of strangers.

Instead, she was greeted by a darkened room, lit by candles, completely empty except for her and-

“Felix?”

He looked up from his phone and gave her a warm look. 

“Hello Marinette, I take it you’re the reason I was forced in here against my will?”

“They trapped you in here?” She slid into the seat across from him.

“Yes, mind explaining that?”

She groaned. “It’s a long story.”

“All the better for a night like this. I’ll grab some coffee.” He strolled across the floor, stepping over the counter and helping himself to the warmed coffee. 

“You like your coffee black, if I remember correctly.” He said, setting the cup down in front of her. 

She brought her nose close to the hot liquid and breathed in the comforting scent. “Yep.”

“So, why did a masked figure trap me in this place to meet with you?” Felix asked, whilst pouring inane amounts of creamer and sugar into his coffee.

Marinette snapped out of her coffee-induced trance and brought the cup to her lips. “Well, it may have something to do with the fact that I told them I don’t like Adrien anymore.”

“I can imagine their reactions.” He rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, so they took it upon themselves to plan out the next boy I should be obsessed with and I didn’t have time to tell them I was already dating”

“Not exactly surprising.”

“And they decided that I should be the one to decide my own crush, and that I should do that by going on as many dates as possible within the week.”

“What?” He stared at her with wide eyes.

“Yep, and during all of them I keep trying to text them and tell them I’m seeing someone, but they apparently never saw them.”

“It’s likely for the best anyway, they never quite were fans of mine.”

“True, but then why set you up with me?”

“That’s a fair point I suppose, but there is a bright side to all of this.”

“Seriously?” She teased. “The great Felix Culpa, pessimist extraordinaire? Finding the bright side?”

“It does happen every once and a while.” He grumbled with red cheeks.

“Well, don’t just leave me in the lurch, what’s this bright side of yours? I’m simply dying to know.”

“I don’t have to plan our next date.” He said simply. “I wasn’t certain what I should do after I took you to that restaurant for our first, and I wanted to be prepared for when I asked you out next.”

“Next?” She asked quietly. 

“Yes, next.” He looked down slightly as he rubbed his neck. “It was alway the plan to go on five dates with you before I officially asked you to be my girlfriend.”

“You-you were planning to?”

He seemed shocked. “Of course. You didn’t think I would just take you out on one date and never speak of it again, did you?”

“I guess not.”

“Well, since we’ve now had this discussion, I suppose I best do this now, plan be darned.” He stood up, his chair squeaking.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” he walked around the table and knelt at her feet. “I have been infatuated with you since I first met you and that feeling has only grown.” 

He pulled out a box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a silver necklace, glimmering in the candlelight. 

“Will you do me the immense honor of being my girlfriend?”

Marinette was stunned. She wasn’t really sure how to react. She stared at the necklace and at Felix, who was still blathering. 

“I promise to spend as much time with you as you like, and never do anything that makes you uncomfortable or is outside your boundaries.” 

“Felix.” She whispered, staring at his crystal blue eyes.

“I’m prepared to talk to your parents if you’d like to consult them before answering, as well as-“

“Felix.” She placed her hand over his own, forcing him to look at her. “I’d love to be your girlfriend.”

“Truly? Because my proposal wasn’t all that polished, I thought I would have at least another couple days to prepare…”

“Yes, Felix, I truly would like to be your girlfriend.”

He swallowed. “In that case, might I help you put your necklace on?” 

“Of course.” She turned around in her chair as Felix stood up.

She felt the cold chain touch her neck and heard a small click. 

“It’s on.”

She turned around again to face Felix. “How does it look?”

“Like it’s on the neck of an angel.” He murmured. 

Marinette felt her cheeks heat up. “Gat’s thood. I mean goods that, or that’s good! Yeah, that’s good.” 

“I’m sorry, did I make you uncomfortable? I was just trying to complement you, and you really do look like an angel,” Felix began rambling again, and Marinette took his hands in hers again, begore he could pick up too much speed.

“No, no! It’s fine Felix, it was really sweet. I just wasn’t sure what to do after I got a compliment like that.” 

“Oh,” the tension in his shoulders seemed to lessen as he relaxed, “that’s reassuring.” He glanced at the window. 

“It’s getting late, can I walk you home?”

She grinned. “Sure!” 

They strolled down the sidewalk, hand in hand, as Marinette stared at her new necklace. 

“It’s patterned after your flowers.” Felix said, noticing where her eyes were trained. 

“Hmm?” 

“The flower that you have on your clothes, I managed to make a necklace that matched them almost perfectly.” He explained. 

“Felix, that’s… amazing.”

He coughed. “Well, I wanted to ensure that I made something that was as beautiful as you.” 

“I-uh. Oh-um... WE’RE HERE!” She shouted, lost for words. 

He looked up. “So we are.”

They looked at each other awkwardly for a solid minute before they both moved towards each other. Marinette opened her arms for a hug as Felix stuck out his hand for a hand shake. They stopped and laughed for a moment, before trying again, this time with Felix opening his arms and Marinette reaching out her arm.

They paused for another moment, unsure if they should try again, or do something different. 

Finally, Felix broke the silence. “Marinette, may I, that is, if you don’t mind, but may I kiss you?” 

Marinette looked at him for a moment, savoring the short seconds before her first kiss, then jumped towards him, just before he could open his mouth and start apologizing. 

The kiss was delicate, like the thin wings of a butterfly. Her hands went behind his neck as he placed his gently on her waist. 

It wasn’t passionate, exactly, but it was just what Marinette could have wanted. 

They broke apart and Felix rested his forehead against hers. 

They stayed in silence for a moment, before the loud sound of noisemakers made them look to the bakery. 

There, in plain view behind the glass, were Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng, celebrating. 

“We are the best matchmakers!” They hurrahed, dancing around. 

Marinette blushed and peered back at Felix, who was staring at her with a fond expression on his face.

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just,” he brushed a rogue piece of hair from her face, “thank you, for saying yes.”

“Thanks for asking.” She gave him a sly grin. 

And as Sabine and Tom celebrated indoors, outside, Marinette and Felix shared their second kiss. 


	2. Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette tells Felix about her alter ego, and he reacts in a rather... odd way.

Marinette and Felix were sitting across from each other on Marinette’s chaise.

They had been dating for two months and Felix was starting to notice how often Marinette would disappear during akuma attacks. 

She didn’t want Felix to think she had been avoiding him, or that she didn’t cherish every second she spent with him, so she was planning on telling him about her supernatural hobby. 

Tikki was on board and even gave her a few tips on how to break the news. 

“So, Felix.”

“Yes angel?”

“We’ve been dating for a while now and I have something to confess... I haven’t been entirely forthcoming on why I leave out dates sometimes.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, it’s because, well, it’s because I’m Ladybug.”

Felix blinked once and started rifling through his bag. 

_ Oh no, he’s getting his phone out, he’s calling the police to take me to a mental hospital, where I’ll live out the rest of my days and never see Felix again!!!  _

“I really am, my kwami’s name is Tikki, she grants me powers. See?” The red and black bug flew right in front of Felix’s face, but still, he didn’t look up. 

They shared a concerned glance before Felix looked up from his phone. 

“First question, how does you me mask stay on despite lack of supporters?”

“Umm...” this was unexpected. “Magic, I think.” She looked at Tikki, who nodded.

“Alright. Second question, did you have any input on what your suit looked like, I’m assuming not because you are a fashion designer and that suit is a fashion atrocity.”

“I can answer that one!” Tikki squeaked. “Usually, the suits are based on what the holder wanted deep down, but Marinette didn’t want to be a hero. So I went with something simple.”

“Thank you, third question, video footage shows that Chat Noir’s baton can separate into two pieces for battle or to call you while he is simultaneously fighting; can your yo-yo do the same?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never really tried.”

“Okay, fourth question-“

“Felix, what’s going on? I expected you to freak out or something, but you have a whole folder of questions you want to ask instead.”

“I apologize.” He turned off his phone and tucked it away. “I should have explained my motives before attacking you with questions like that.”

“So, what are your motives?”

He took a deep breath. “I am planning on starting my own ballad, similar to the Ladyblog, but where the Ladyblog has pictures and videos without context, mine will have pure facts; hopefully as well as interviews with fan questions and not just what the moderator hopes to know. I’m planning on calling it the Spot-on.”

“That’s so neat!” Tikki squealed. “There has always been forms of media based on miraculous holders; this will be great Marinette! A way for you to get your own messages out to Paris!”

“That  is really cool, Felix. How long have you been thinking about this?”

“Since the Oblivio incident. I saw how uncomfortable you seemed with the picture and I wanted Paris to have another source of information other than a tabloid.”

“I just have one note, what about Alya? She will literally kill you if she finds out you’re aiming to be her competition.”

Felix’s face split into a devilish grin. “Not if she never sees me.”

“What?” 

“I’m planning on working behind the camera, asking questions from there and editing out my voice.”

“That’s... really smart, actually. This way you can’t be a target for any akumas.” 

“Exactly.” He smiled and pulled her into his arms, laying back in the chaise. 

“This is nice.” She remarked, cuddling into his chest. 

Tikki giggled and flew off, likely to grab a cookie, or a camera. 

“So, how does the string of your yo-yo manage to go on for illogical distances, tie people up, and carry your weight, all without breaking?”

“It’s magic, Felix.” She mumbled into his chest. 

“Yes, but how does it work?”

“It’s not rocket science Felix, it’s just magic.” 

“Nonsense, magic is simply another kind of science and I insist on understanding it.”

“That’s great, but can you do it later?”

“... okay, this is a better form of magic anyway.”

_ Agreed.  _


	3. Kwami Swap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix is startled as Lady Noire detransforms in his room with a proposition just before his date with Marinette.

Felix was just reading, ignoring the signs of the akuma outside, with full faith that Ladybug would save Paris yet again, in time for his date with Marinette. 

Soon after, the magic ladybugs flew over Paris, and Felix knew he was correct. A flash of black sped into the room and a flash of green light told him that Chat Noir had just detransformed under his desk. 

A black cat floated lazily from behind the office chair, holding a black ring. 

“See ya, Mar- Lady Noire! It was nice working with you!” 

“Bye Plagg, Tell Tikki where I am, will you?”

“No problem.”

Felix sat in his bed, stunned. Lady Noire, who he assumed was Ladybug, had just detransformed in his bedroom, and wasn’t planning on leaving until her kwami got there.

“Hi, you’re Felix, right? The boy I chose for Apidae?” The familiar voice sounded from under his desk, referring to his time spent as the bee hero.

“Yes, that would be me. Why, may I ask, are you in my bedroom, and not, say, in your own room?”

“Well, I wanted to ask you about something, how would you feel if you became a... more permanent hero?”

“Excuse me?”

“Well, akumas are getting worse and worse, and with Hawkmoth working with Mayura more frequently, I could use heroes that that are available to help without me needing to stop and get their miraculous.”

“Yes, that makes sense, but why me? Why not Rena Rouge or Carapace? They have more experience, after all.” 

“That’s the thing, they’ve been doing it longer, but they tend to act like it’s just a game, like Chat Noid. I need another partner who can take the responsibility of guarding Paris.”

“Ladybuuuuug!!” A little red and black bug flew in through the window, darting around Felix’s room. 

She flew up to Felix’s face and narrowed her eyes. “Where’s Ladybug? What did you do to her?” 

“Tikki! I’m under the desk!”

The kwami darted under the desk and in a matter of seconds, Ladybug was leaping out of his window. 

“Talk to you later, Felix! Bug out!”

Felix laid back on his bed, and thought about what being a permanent hero would mean. 

On the positive side, he would be part of something bigger than himself. He would protect Paris from akumas alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir. He would get to see Pollen on a daily basis as well. 

On the negative side, it would take up a fair amount of his time; at any moment an akuma could strike. He might even die fighting an akuma. Not to mention, there would be less time to be with his girlfriend. 

As if called by his thoughts, Marinette texted him. 

** Nette  🌸 : Where are you, I’m waiting at Andre’s. **

** Fe  😾 : Sorry, I was held up. I’m coming now. **

He dashed out of his room, leaving all thoughts of Ladybug and Apidae behind, in favor of being with his girlfriend.

* * *

Felix smiled and fell into his bed, still tasting the caramel topping of the ice cream he had shared with Marinette.

“Oooh!” A tiny voice sounded from inside his bag.

Felix opened it to reveal a familiar box, with a bee pin inside.

When he opened the box, a bright ball of yellow light flew from the pin and Pollen opened her eyes in front of him. 

“Hullo, my liege!”

“Pollen, I’m so sorry, did I hurt you?”

“No, I’m fine sir. All is well!”

“In that case, welcome back Pollen.” He grinned as he clipped the pin onto his lapel. “Might I ask how you got here?”

Her head drooped. “I’m sorry, my liege; I don’t know. I assumed Ladybug gave me to you.”

“That’s alright, Pollen. And please, I’ve told you before, call me Felix.”

“Wait,” her antennae pricked upwards, “does this mean you’re a permanent hero? I get to stay with you?” She was buzzing with excitement.

“I believe so.”

“Lovely!”

His phone buzzed for a moment and he looked down, seeing another text from Marinette. 

** Nette  🌸 : I’m turning in for the day, goodnight my bumblebee!  🐝 **

_ Bumblebee? _

Felix pulled up the notes app on his phone and typed in a quick sentence. 

_Marinette is Ladybug?_


	4. Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s cold, Marinette is suffering, Felix is humored, Adrien is lonely.

“Out of all the places for us to go on a school trip, they just  had to choose the coldest place on Earth?” Marinette griped, burrowing further into her jackets. 

Felix chuckled, looping his scarf around her neck a few more times. “It’s not that bad, Netta. Most of our classmates are wearing hoodies or sweaters. You’re dressed in heavy winter-wear.”

“Because it  _ is _ winter!”

“It’s the middle of April.”

“Shut up with all your facts,” she growled, “or I’ll have no choice but to gag you.”

He smirked. “With what? The scarf that’s protecting you from the ‘bitter, mind-numbing cold?’”

“You see?” She shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at the blond. “This is the kind of stupid fact I’m talking about!”

Adrien smiled softly, a few feet away from the bickering couple. 

He missed being able to chat that freely with Marinette, his lady.

They all continued to hike and Adrien tried to distract himself by chatting with Alya and Nino, but it never worked, they would do something sweet and he would feel a familiar yearning for a relationship with Marinette, but he would always turn back to see her and her boyfriend holding hands and talking to each other or someone else. 

“I am not blushing! It’s just the cold.”

“Oh?” Felix asked, an eyebrow raised. “And nothing to do with the fact that I told you that you look like an adorable marshmallow?”

“No...”

“My mistake, then.” He slipped his arm over her shoulders and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. 

He almost wished Lila was there so he could allow himself to be distracted by her tales. Instead, he was stuck with a class that had nothing better to do than hyper fixate on the “cutest relationship of the class.”

* * *

As they stopped their hike for a momentary picnic before they turned back around, Marinette called him over. 

“Adrien! Come over here, eat with us.”

And he did, he sat next to them as she complained about how many sweets he ate and he mumbled behind a mouth of brownies about he calories burnt while hiking and how he was just providing his body with the proper equilibrium to survive.

He sat and thought about how happy Marinette was and how content she seemed with Felix by her side. He wanted Marinette to be happy, but there was still a pulsing ache in his mind, begging for her to open her eyes, to  see him. 

But to no avail. She only had eyes for Felix, for his blue eyes and totaled blond hair. 

“Aww! Look at how cute they are!” Rose squealed, looking at the two. 

“Hey, Adrien, mind moving out of the shot? You’re blocking the lovebirds.” Alya teased and turned to the pair in question. “Smile, you two!”

Adrien sighed and moved to sit on a stump. He was glad he wasn’t in Paris, where he could be akumatized for this kind of sadness. “Felix, you can’t just give me all of your layers, you’ll get cold!”

“I won’t get cold. You, however, are starting to look more and more like a coat hanger.” He paused. “Albeit a cute coat hanger.” 

“Nooooo, I am a beast of burden!” She flopped onto her side and wriggled around like a fish, growling for a moment, then stopped.

“Felix?”

“Yes, angel?” Felix looked on in amusement. 

“I’m stuck.”

“I can see that, dear.”

“Can you help me up?” She stretched her fingers towards him. 

“Of course, Netta.”

He lifted her to her feet and threw her over his shoulder, gathering their things and marching back down the path. 

“Felix!”

“We were going to go back down anyway, and you would be behind the rest because of your freezing cold condition.”

“That’s a fact!” She bellowed. “I’m not having any of your facts.”

The rest of the class laughed and packed up their things. Alya was at the front of the pack, joking about “not leaving them alone for too long.”

Adrien was in the back, kicking a stone as he waited for the school vacation to be over, or for him to be less alone.


	5. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before a class get-together at the pool, Felix and Marinette share their scars with each other.

“Come one, Felix.” Marinette whined. “We’re gonna be late to the swimming pool.”

“I’m sorry, but it looks like I can’t find by swim shirt. You can go without me.“

“Just don’t wear a shirt, not of the other guys will.” She offered, shrugging. 

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

Felix didn’t say anything, choosing instead to rummage through his closet again. 

“Felix,” she probed, “you know you can tell me anything, right? I mean, you know that I’m Ladybug, so, it’s not like you have anything I can hold over you.”

He sighed. “Are you sure you wish to know?”

She nodded. 

“I have... some unsightly scars, on my torso. I’ve been told they scare people.”

“What are they from?”

“Surgeries, mostly. There was a bit of difficulty with my spine and ribs when I was younger and the need to cut my back and chest open occasionally to ensure everything is as it should be.”

“Oh.”

“It’s alright if you leave. I know is isn’t easy to have a partner that is... imperfect.” His eyes watered, as he waited for the door to close. 

Instead, he was welcomed with a hand on his shoulder. 

“Felix, it’s okay, I have scars too.”

He looked at her. “Truly?”

“Yeah, from being Ladybug. I guess because of my age, it can’t cure everything.”

”Ah.” 

Yep.” She tapped his hand for a moment. “Do you... want to see them?”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, so you don’t feel too bad about yours, I guess. And I have to learn to be okay with them.”

“I suppose I could see.”

“Okay,” she took of her jacket and revealed her arm to have dozens of square scars from her fingertips to her elbow. “From Pixelator; it’s on my leg too.”

“On my side, is a disco ball scar from Party Crasher, and on my collarbone is a music note from Frightingale,” she tugged at her shirt to show the two marks, “see?”

She showed the paper plane-shaped scar from Reverser, the pillow cloud on her temple from Sandboy. 

She rubbed on her neck and the backs of her hands the reveal a mark from Silencer and twin symbols from Lady Wifi. 

“So, you know,” she shrugged, “scars aren’t anything wrong.”

“Do they hurt you?” He asked, concerned. 

“Just a little, when I detransform, wake up, run for too long.”

He hugged her suddenly, squeezing her as tight as he could. 

“Thank you, for trying to make me comfortable with my scars. I’m sure it must have been difficult.” 

“It was fine,” she whispered, voice cracking, “now let’s go to the pool!” 

* * *

All the way to the pool, Felix fretted over Marinette’s scars.

“Felix, relax. They’re really faint; you can’t see them unless you’re looking.”

He nodded, and walked into the men’s changing room. Nino and Kim greeted him as he entered. 

First, he put his towel in the locker and secured his phone. He was already wearing his swim trunks, so he took off his shirt and placed it into the locker as well.

A gasp was heard behind him. “Bro...”

Felix left before they could initiate any conversation. 

Once out of the changing room, Felix’s first goal was to find Marinette.

She was wearing a pink one-piece with white flowers dotting the side, no scars visible. 

She was majestic. 

He walked up to her and pecked her on the cheek, standing beside her as she talked with Alya. 

Despite Marinette clearly trying to make conversation with her, Alya had her eyes fixed on Felix’s scars. 

“Alya, you there?” Marinette snapped in front of her face. 

“I’m sorry, WHAT THE HECK? Mari, you never told us...”

“I know, but it’s something he wanted to keep private...”

“... that Felix was buff?”

“What?”

“Yeah, Mari!” Kim popped out of the water. “You can’t just keep this a secret!”

Soon, they were surrounded by all their classmates, bombarding him with questions. 

“How much do you lift?”

“Do you even lift?”

“Can you pick me up?”

“Wanna arm wrestle?”

Felix sighed and gave Marinette a questioning look, to which she nodded. Felix lifted Marinette off of her feet and placed her on his shoulder. 

“To answer your questions, I am not certain how much I lift, but I do, in fact, lift.I am fairly certain I could pick any one of you up, and as for arm wrestling, I’d be happy to take on any challenger.”

A line soon formed. 

* * *

As the day finished, Marinette laid her head against Felix’s shoulder. “You did good.”

He laid his head in hers and hummed. “It wasn’t all that hard, Ivan was the only one who proved that much of a challenge.”

“I meant with your scars, Felix.” She huffed. 

“Yes, well, it was easy to do well with those when I had such a role model.” He kissed her forehead in thanks. 

“But still, I’m proud of you, my buff boyfriend.” She quipped. 

“And I you, my scarred seraphim.”


	6. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Marinette are being soft with each other on a bus ride back to Paris.

It was dark, on the trip back to Paris; the only sounds coming from the bumps of the bus. 

Somewhere on the bus, people were playing games.

Somewhere, they were talking about books.

Somewhere, they were arguing over the window seat. 

Somewhere, they were stuffing their faces with chips.

But at seats thirty-nine and forty, a couple laid onto each other and rested. 

Felix, a blond in a grey vest had his head resting on his girlfriend’s. A book laid open on his lap, the worn pages sporting lines of poetry when they caught the light of passing cars.

Marinette, a blue haired girl in a flowered shirt, rested on her boyfriends shoulder, taking comfort in the rising and falling of his chest. She held his hand with her own, rubbing his knuckles.

The two slept, not seeing the flash of the pictures Alya took of them, not seeing the melancholy looks thrown to them by Adrien, they simply slept, finding rest in each other’s company.

* * *

Somewhere, a liar made plans to ruin lives.

Somewhere, a bakery opened, as the owners prepared for another day.

But on the bus, the couple woke up to each other’s eyes and shared a gentle kiss, ignoring each other’s morning breath.

The bus stopped and the two walked out, hand in hand, for waffles and coffee. 

Felix poured sugar packet after sugar packet into his while Marinette chugged hers black. 

Felix took his waffles with a meager amount of syrup, but you could hardly see Marinette’s waffle from under the chocolate chips.

They walked back to the bus, ignoring the cops of adoration behind them. 

When they slid into their seats, Marinette laid her head back onto his shoulder as he read poetry in the faint morning light. 

* * *

Somewhere, it was lunchtime. 

Somewhere, a crusty old fashion designer set out to enhance teenagers’ trauma. 

But back on the bus, a blue eyes pair argued over movies, gamed, anything, just so they could see the competitive fire in the other’s eyes.

Those who had stayed up that night had narrowed eyes at them, and groaned their curses. But the couple couldn’t hear over the sound of their partner’s voice.

* * *

Somewhere, a woman cheated on her husband. 

Somewhere, a couple broke up.

Somewhere, there was war, death, famine. 

But to the couple on the bus, so completely, desperately in love, there was no one but them and that was all they could need. 


	7. Couples Firsts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All of Felix and Marinette’s first landmarks as a couple seem to be following a pattern...

** Sorry, girl. Lila asked us to go to the movies with her because it’s national ditch day in Italy. Had to respect her heritage. **

Marinette sighed and walked into the building, all alone except for Ms. Bustier. The most prestigious school in France offered to give their class a tour and they all skipped it to go to the movies? Stupid.

They stood in the main hall, until a pale, blond boy in a grey suit walked up to them.

“Hello, my name is Felix Culpa. As the class representative, I will be showing you around Aster Academy... excuse me, but where are your other students?”

Marinette saw Ms. Bustier shoot her a look and internally groaned. “I am Marinette Dupain-Cheng, also class representative. The rest of my class is... otherwise occupied. I will be the only one joining you today.” Good, that sounded professional and well put together. 

“Very well,” he looked at Ms. Bustier, “since this is a small class, feel free to have some coffee in the teachers lounge and relax.”

Ms. Bustier gave him a grateful smile and walked off.

“So, I imagine you’ve heard of our school before, is there anything you would like to see first?”

“Yeah, what about the designing wing?”

“Yes, the design wing is rather extensive, right this way.”

* * *

Marinette glanced up and down the street, completely lost.

** Are you sure these directions were right? **

Her phone buzzed almost immediately.

** Duh, Lila gave them to me you probably just got lost. **

Or maybe Lila lied!

“Marinette?” She turned to see a familiar blue-eyed boy walking towards her. “I haven’t seen you in this street before.”

“Yeah, I got kinda lost, bad directions.”

The two had been communicating by text for a few minutes and this was only the second time they’d seen each other in person and not through a screen. Marinette felt her cheeks light up. Felix looked… good.

“Well, since you’re here, would you like to get coffee with me?”

“You mean… like a date?”

His cheeks colored, likely matching her own. “I…suppose so, yes.”

“Sure, it’s not like I really have anywhere to be now.” She grinned and shut off her phone, stuffing it in her bag.

* * *

Marinette growled and pounded at her head with her fists. Normally, she wouldn’t allow himself to express her emotions in such a way, what with akumas and all, but when it came to the pure and utter detest she had for Lila Rossi, she was willing to make an exception. 

“And then, she said she could arrange a meeting between the two of them! The man has been dead for over a decade!”

“Hmm.” Felix stared blankly at a novel he had started but lost interest in.

“Of course, they believed her! And they decided that  I was the one wrong for pointing out that he was  deceased !”

“Unfortunate.” He turned a page.

“I just…ugh!! I hate her.”

“I could help with that.”

“…”

She sounds like a horrible individual. Do you want her gone? Because I can arrange that.”

“You mean... mur-“

“Let us not say the ‘m’ word, i don’t want anything being traced back here.” He gave her a warning glance. 

Marinette thought about Felix’s proposal for a moment, before jumping at him, pushing his back against the office chair and kissing him until she had to pull back. 

“Sorry,” she breathed, “well, not really, but sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

He smirked. “All his because I offered to get rid of her?”

“Yep.” She pecked his lips. “So you better deliver.”

* * *

She was weeping, hiding her face in her arms. It was too much today, too much of Lila’s attitude and Alya never batting so much as an eye at her.

Marinette had heard her parents murmuring to each other, so she was expecting a cheery attempt to make her feel better any minute.

What she was not expecting was Felix barreling into her room, arms full of sweets, blankets, stuffed animals and a laptop.

He unceremoniously dumped them all onto the ground without a word.

He then pulled her to him and began to wrap her in blanket after blanket.

“Life is objectively awful.” He explained. “So I plan on keeping you warm and feeding you food while watching all of your favorite movies until you feel better or the apocalypse, whichever comes first.”

They had just finished watching their third movie, when Felix spoke.

“I have applications for you to transfer to Aster, if it’s ever too much for you. I know your classmates’ treatment of you can be... less than ideal.”

“Not yet,” she whispered, “but thanks, Felix. I love you.”

She felt him stiffen beside her. “I… love you too.”

“I know.”

* * *

Marinette walked into her apartment to see Lila tied to a chair. Felix was standing behind her.

“Hello, dear, how was your day at work?”

“Uh, it was good. I was able to approve a bunch of great designs.”

“That’s lovely.”

She sighed. “Well, if you’re not going to say it, I will. Why is she in my apartment?”

“Well, all of the important moments of our relationship happened because of her; us meeting, our first kiss, the first time we said I love you,’ so I decided she should be a part in this event as well.”

He walked around the struggling brunette and knelt in front of Marinette.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, will you do me the great honor of becoming Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Culpa?”

She fell to her knees in front of him. “Yes.” She whispered. “Yes, oh, Felix!” She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply.

When they parted he slipped the violet ring onto her finger. “Thank you.”

“No, you beautiful boy, thank you. This is so sweet. But, if you bring  _ her _ to our wedding, I  _ will _ divorce your sorry butt.”

~~Bonus~~

“How are you going to set her loose anyway? She’ll tell the authorities.”

“With  _ her _ reputation? They’d laugh her out of the room.”


	8. Myths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sun and moon fall in love in a beautiful dance, but the partners must turn away from each other for the sake of humanity..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this one isn’t explicitly Felinette, I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Once, when time was young, there was a single being. He was blond, pale, and blue-eyed. He called himself Sun.

Sun would walk around the circumference of the Earth, burning the soil and evaporating the water. He didn’t care. Nothing on this planet was worth the remorse, it was a selfish, hateful planet and it did not deserve his mercy. 

One day, he turned around, to observe his wreckage, when he noticed something on the horizon. 

A girl, with blue hair and bluer eyes was dancing over the ocean, pulling the waves the match her movements.

Sun was entranced, he walked towards this figure and the two met in a shining eclipse.

He took her hands in his own and spun her in a graceful dance, their footprints shining as the first stars appeared in their wake.

Breathless, she introduced herself as Moon, and Sun was in love.

They talked for a while, and Sun learned that Moon had not seen the selfishness he had on Earth, she believed they should leave and protect a new civilization from the skies, and Sun wholeheartedly agreed. 

The two danced with each other into into air, marveling at how they fit with each other so well.

They parted ways, for the darkness and light cannot share the skies for too long, before confusion occurs.

Sun left first, finding it best to turn his back to his only love, to keep himself from staying with her forever.

But Moon, Moon stared at him as he left, a yearning deep in her soul.

She chased after him, desperately trying to reach her dance partner again.

She would run and run, weeping sweet tears of joy whenever she found herself sharing sky with him. She would wave and cry out to him, and send comets, carrying heartfelt letters to him.

In return, he would wave back and send his own letters in the clouds.

Every few years, the two overcome the barriers between them and meet in another eclipse for another dances before parting ways yet again.

Occasionally, Moon would loss sight of her dear Sun, the jealous Earth between them, and she would weep and shout for him until she was red in the face.

The two are still stuck in this game of cat and mouse, which only ends for mere minutes, before the lovers must part from their eclipse to do their duties for humanity once again.


	9. Villains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Felix surprise a Halloween party with some very fashionable costumes.

“I am going to kill Hawkmoth!” Marinette groaned into a pillow.

“I’m afraid you can’t, but may i ask why you plan to?” Felix chuckled, rubbing her head.

“Did you see that akuma’s design? It was atrocious! Definitely worth murdering a villain.”

“I don’t know, it seemed at least punch-worthy, but murder, Nette?”

“Magenta boots and neon green.” She looked up. “Magenta boots and neon green!”

“She was called Fashion Disaster.” He pointed out.

“Nothing is a good excuse for men=gents boots paired with neon green!” She pointed a finger in his face. “I swear, when Hawkmoth gets exposed, he better be a child or I  will kill him.”

“And Mayura?’ 

Marinette froze for a moment before falling down. “She’s even worse! She made her own costume awful! She gave herself blue skin! Like she’s Megamind!”

“Well, what would you do?” Felix asked, knowing full well where this was leading.

“I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!” She shouted, pulling out a sketchbook.

“Okay,so I’ve been thinking of couples costumes for Halloween, and i thought we could go as Mayura and Hawkmoth, ‘cause there’s at least one could bound to dress like Ladybug and Chat Noir, probably gonna wear cheap store bought costumes too.”

“What are your plans, Nette?”

“I’m going as Hawkmoth because i have fashion sense and you can be Mayura, ‘cause you have enough creativity to make a sentimonster.”

“Okay, what do we need?”

A devilish smile crawled on her face. “I’m glad you asked.”

* * *

The Halloween party was a mix of reds and black.

Almost every couple in the vicinity was wearing a Ladybug or Chat Noir costume.

Almost.

The doors swung open and two fashionably late figures appeared, shrouded in smoke, that no one remembered being there.

A figure in a blue cape with pink spots flew from the doorway and perched easily on a pedestal that no on noticed.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir!” He bellowed. “You are trapped! Give us your miraculous!”

There was a lot of murmuring amount the group, but one question twang out.

Us?

A figure in purple waked out, heels clicking against the tile.

“Well done, Felix Fowl,” she did a double take, “but  why are there so many?”

“That would be my amok, Marimoth.’ He pulled out a calculator with little pipe cleaner limbs. “Multiplus, it must have hit Ladybug and Chat Noir in a battle.”

“Gadzooks! Then how will we get the miraculous?” She pressed her hand to her head.

“Is it possible, that that miraculous multiplied with them?”

Her eyes widened. “Of course! Ingenious, Felix Fowl. let us get the miraculous.”

‘Felix Fowl’ stood, allowing the room to see all of his costume. 

He was wearing navy boots up to his knees, and lighter blue pants, with navy stripes on the sides. His shirt was the same light blue with slightly lighter splotches that were barely noticeable. He wore navy gloves slightly above his wrists, that ended in dark peacock feather-like loops.

His mask was the light blue with a navy line on the top and magenta dots tracing the bottom. He wore a wide rimmed hat with a magestic blood red feather sticking out. 

His cape was a navy with lighter blue tips at the ends and magenta spots at the ends of a tip.

He had a epee that was teal with dark splotches, and stood out from the rest of the dark blue.

‘Marimoth’ was wearing a long-sleeved violet dress that cut off in an inverted ‘V,’ showing her black leggings. She had boots that went up to the middle of her calf of the same shade of violet, with a light lilac butterfly with silver accents on the front of both. 

She had a grey vest with another lilac butterfly where the breast pocket would be over the dress. Her gloves went up to her elbows and also were silver, spiraling up her arms. 

She had a lilac butterfly mask and violet ribbons tying up her pigtails.

The class was stunned, unmoving except for one pair. 

Chloe and Sabrina stood side by side, grinning in defiance of the villains.

“Beware, Marimoth and Felix Fowl! For  we will be the ones taking  your miraculous!”

Suddenly, the class erupted and charged at the cold-colored pair.

Felix Fowl easily fended off all attacks, protecting Marimoth the same way Mayura protected Hawkmoth.

Marimoth was cool as a cucumber, directing her ‘akuma’ with ease. 

The class soon realized they were outmatched and surrendered.

As they tore off their masked and cooled down with drinks, Alya approached the villainous pair with her phone ready for an interview.

”So, Felix Fowl, Marimoth, do you think you guys are as good of villains as Hawkmoth and Mayura?”

“We are all they are, and better.’ Felix said coolly.

“Why do you say that?”

The pair met eyes and turned to the tiny phone camera, speaking in unison.

“We have better costumes.”


	10. Marinette Protection Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix is troubled when the Marinette Protection Squad deems him unworthy for Marinette and keeps him away from her at all costs.

“Back off, Felix!” Alya narrowed her eyes. “You aren’t getting anywhere near Mari.”

“Might I ask why?”

“You’re a bad influence on her and the MPS won’t stand for it.”

“The MPS?”

“The Marinette Protection Squad.”

Two weeks.

Felix had left for two weeks and this had happened. 

The “Marinette Protection Squad” as they called themselves, had decided (with a little help from Lila Rossi)that he wasn’t a good enough person to be around Marinette, and thus, it was their job to keep him away from her.

It was awful, they could only communicate over text and even then, that was often monitored by whoever Marinette was with at the moment.

Felix was becoming peeved.

Sure, his assigned seat was next to Marinette, but whenever he tried to initiate conversation, another classmate would butt in and distract her.

At first, he thought he would manage. There were times where he preferred a little silence every once and a while, but it soon proved torture.

It seemed to b hurting Marinette too, which he soon learned after Ladybug swung into his room and handed him the oh-so familiar bee miraculous.

She hardly even waited for him to transform, before she dragged him out the window.

“Okay, what’s going on?” She interrogated him at the top of the Eiffel Tower, rage written all over her face. “You haven’t said more than a sentence to me in days, and you’ve been avoiding me!”

“They wouldn’t let me, even if i tried.” Felix griped.

“They?” A deadly expression crossed her face. “I’ll deal with them, just give me names. There’s nothing a solid bop on the head with a yo-yo cant fix.”

“The Marinette Protection Squad.”

“What?”

“All of your friends, initially guided by Rossi, banded together while I was gone and decided I wasn’t good for you.”

“Ugh! I knew it was Lila!” She pressed her hands to her forehead. “don’t worry, I‘ll deal with it tomorrow.” 

The two leapt over Paris’ skyline and landed once more in Felix’s room.

He took off his bee pin and handed it to Marinette.

“No.” She folded his fingers over the pin. “Keep it, so we can talk if the ‘Marinette Protection Squad’ doesn’t pan out.”

* * *

The next day, Felix was taking a stroll when his least favorite brunette latched onto his arm.

“Heeeeey, Felix,,” she purred, “why so alone? Your girlfriend couldn’t make time?”

“You know very well why my girlfriend couldn’t come to walk with me.”

“Yeah,” a prideful smirk crawled onto her face. “So, what do you say? The cat’s away, shall the mice play?”  


”No.”

“What?” She reeled back, a disgusted look on her face. “Seriously?”

Felix nodded. 

“After all the trouble I went through, alienating you from the class, your girlfriend? You still won’t go out with me? Why?”

“For the very reason I stated. I have a girlfriend, and while I might not be able to be with her at the moment, I will be loyal to her and her alone.”

She practically shrieked in anger before stomping away.

Felix smirked and continued on his walk.

* * *

The next day at school, something was off.

Rossi was crying crocodile tears, nothing new there, but the glares his classmates were shooting at him were different, more feral.

Lila saw him and smirked momentarily before “sobbing” louder.

“How dare you?!” Mylene yelled.

“I thought you loved Marinette.” Rose piped in.

Felix wasn’t quite sure what was happening , but all his cares went out the window when Marinette came in, almost seeming to glitter in the morning light.

“Hi Fe!” She kissed his cheek.

“Marinette, get away from him!” Alya shouted and pulled her aside.

“What’s going on, guys?”

“He cheated on you!” Kim growled and crossed his arms.

“Or, attempted to, at least.” Max corrected.

“Cheated on me, with who?”

“Me.” Lila stood up, the perfect picture of the victim.

“I was just walking, and suddenly he came up and pulled me in an alley, he tried to kiss me, but I pushed him away, because I know he’s dating you. He just kept pushing and pushing though, until Jagged Stone passed by and saved me!”

Marinette nodded solemnly. “I see,” she turned, “Felix, i have just one question for you.”

Felix looked at her, fearing for the worst.

“Was this before, or after Lila flirted with you?”

The class reeled back. 

“What are you talking about, Mari?” Adrien asked gently

“Yes, Marinette, please trust me! I would never do anything like that!” Lila said, leaning forwards. 

Marinette said nothing, tapping her phone a few times, before pulling up a video.

The picture was crummy, but the audio was loud and clear. 

“After all the trouble I went through, alienating you from the class, your girlfriend? You still won’t go out with me? Why?”

The class gasped, turning towards Lila.

“There’s more.” Marinette stated calmly.

“For the very reason I stated. I have a girlfriend, and while I might not be able to be with her at the moment, I will be loyal to her and her alone.”

She turned off the video and held up her hand. “Now, before you turn on Lila, which I definitely want to see, I want to bring attention what hypocrites you all are.”

“You don’t want me dating Felix, but you get mad when you think he’s being a bad boyfriend! Well, I’ve got news for you, I’m not going to stop being with Felix and you either have to support me, or deal with it!”

She turned to Felix and kissed him again. “Sorry I let this go on for so long.” She whispered.

“It’s fine.” He mumbled back. “So long as I get to hold you again.”

The two strolled, arm in arm, to the back of the class as they watched the Marinette Protection Squad spring back into action, this time against a new enemy.


	11. Sun and Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Marinette leaves Paris to visit family, she becomes the talk of the class. Felix has his own opinions on the classes ideas.

“Marinette is so like the sun!” Alya laughed.

“Yeah, shes so helpful!” Rose remarked.

“And warm.” Nathaniel added.

“She brings life to our class.” Max said, adding and unusual amount of emotion to his speech.

Marinette was on a trip to visit relatives, and thus was the topic of conversation with the classmates. They were attempting to compare her to a celestial body, while Felix sat by and listened.

They were wrong, of course.

Marinette couldn’t possibly be the sun.

Of course, the sun is warm, life giving, as she is. But the sun is also the cause of problems it is not affected by, problems it cannot fix.

Marinette would fix any problems she made and plenty that she didn’t.

No, Marinette was not the sun.

“No, Marinette’s the moon!”

“Yeah, shes so cool.’ Juleka muttered.

“Not to mention the moon fits her aesthetic better.” Kim crosses his arms.

No, Marinette was not the moon either.

The moon was too cold, it didn’t affect as much on Earth as the sun. It bore no light of its own and was merely a follower.

Marinette was warm and bright, she tried to help as much as she could. She led her own life.

Marinette simply couldn’t be the moon.

“What about the Earth?” Adrien suggested.

“Well, she’s definitely dirty enough.” Chloe remarked.

Marinette was not the Earth. 

The Earth was in shambles, it was laying docile in its own demise. Everything that made it unique was slowly dying and turning to dust.

Marinette, yes, was a force of nature, but a force that would never lie silent as she slowly, painfully wilted. 

Marinette simply could not be the Earth.

The class was torn, arguing amongst themselves. Felix could have laughed.

Marinette couldn’t be the moon, Earth, or sun. They were each simply too small, one could never be grand enough to capture her own perfection. 

No, Marinette was the entire cosmos.

She had all of the burning passion, the light and life of an enormous star, the chilled grace and beauty of the moon.

Her laugh was the same twinkling of the star and her eyes held the glow of galaxies.

She held the supporting and nurturing nature if the Earth in her palms, and her woks were as magical as meteors.

and, though her would never tell anyone this, when she kissed him, hugged him, even looked at him... it felt like a supernova.

As the bell rang, the class apparently had no intentions to stop their argument, so Felix easily slipped out of the room unnoticed.

It was time to video call his universe.


	12. Disapproval

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien wants to partner with Marinette for a photo shoot, but his father disappoves.

“I’m sorry Adrien, but the pairings you requested for the Culpa-Gabriel shoot have been unapproved.” Nathalie declared, passing him a sheet of paper. 

“The approved pairs will be you and Miss Rossi, along with Felix Culpa and Miss Dupain-Cheng.” 

Adrien groaned internally as he smiled at Nathalie. “Okay! Thanks for telling me.” _Whyyy?_

It wasn’t that Felix wasn’t a nice person, he was a son of a designer like him, Bridgette Culpa of Culpa Creations. She was most known for her jewelry, but was still a widely popular designer. 

He was a little... cold sometimes, though. He never really talked to Adrien much.

That didn’t mean he was a bad person, it just made it hard to make sure he could be a friend.

But what did he had to be the one modeling with Marinette?

He hadn’t seen Marinette in weeks since she stopped coming to school. He had done everything just to try and talk with his friend again.

He’d tried calling her, checking at the bakery, walking by really slowly. But it was all met with the same response: failure. 

And now, he hears that because of her amazing designing as MDC, the previously anonymous designer, Marinette is going to model for the Gabriel-Culpa shoot, and he can’t do it with her.

It just didn’t make sense, Felix didn’t even know Marinette, and he got to model with her? Just because Lila was working with the Gabriel brand, didn’t mean he had to work with her every single time.

He knew Marinette, he would make her feel more comfortable while helping her with technique! Felix would make her feel uneasy and criticize her. 

Speak of the devil, there was Felix, walking towards him with an unusual bounce in his step.

“Hello, Adrien. How are you today?”

Adrien took a mini dual step back. “Fine, how are you?”

“I’m rather well, thank you. Where are our outfits for the shoot?”

“In the back room as always.” Adrien hurried after Felix. “Speaking of, I was wondering if I could talk to you about that, particularly partners?”

“Yes, you are with Miss Rossi, are you not? Horrid girl, I’m glad I’m not in her school.” Felix spoke absentmindedly, while sifting through the racks of clothes. 

“Yeah, that’s why I’m wondering....”

“Adrien!” The too-familiar voice of Lila made Adrien cringe.

“Hey Lila.” He spoke weakly, knowing his chance of switching partners was ruined.

She threw herself onto him and pressed kisses all over his cheeks, then, like she didn’t notice he was there, turned to Felix. 

“Oh, you’re Felix, right? One half of our other pair?” She smiled charmingly and stuck out her hand. “I’m Lila Rossi, Adrien’s  _partner_ .” Adrien had to hold back a wince at the word.

“Ah, yes.” He shook her hand. “A pleasure.”

“So, who are you working with?” She tiled her head.

“A newer designer, MDC.”

“Really? I’m surprised I wasn’t told, we’re basically best friends!”

Felix’s eyebrows shot up. “Indeed?”

“Yeah,  totally ! We text all the time.”

“Really?” Felix gave a smirk and leaned back. “Do tell me more.” 

“I’m actually the one who got them designing. I even do designs for them when they’re out of inspiration. 

“Excuse me?” A timid voice piped up from behind them. “Is this where I’m supposed to be?”  


Lila turned, allowing Felix to catch a glimpse of the bluenette ahead of him. “I’m sorry, Marinette, but this area is for  _talent_ only.”

“Netta!” Felix rushed forward, pulling her close to him. “I was worried you got lost; this building is pretty complex.”

She giggle and pressed a simple kiss to his lips. “I’m fine, a nice lady led me over here.”

Oh.  So that was why they were modeling together.

“Felix,” Lila piped up, her voice honey sweet, “I’m sure you two would love to stay and chat more, but doesn’t Marinette need to leave? I know for a fact that MDC doesn’t deal well with too many new people at a time. Besides, this room is for models only.”

Felix gave yet another lazy smirk, his arm resting over Marinette’s shoulders. “Do you want to tell her?”

“Nah, you’d do it better.” She tilted her head into his cheek with a sly grin.

“Miss Rossi, I have to say, I expected more from you, from all the things Marinette’s said about you, I thought you would be some master deceiver, but I was proven horribly wrong. You aren’t even mediocre.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Marinette is MDC, its rather common knowledge, hence my disappointment.”

“Wh-what?”

Marinette gave her a knowing smile. “Since I transferred to Aster Academy, I’ve had so much time to focus on my passions. Must have been the lack of scum.”

“Why you-“

“So, Marinette, you’re wearing your designs?” Adrien gracefully pulled the clothes from the rack, handing them to her.

“Yep, i figure people will trust my pieces better if they see me wearing them myself.”

“That’s really smart!” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lila seethe, and he knew the school would pay for his compliment.

The photographer poked his heads in the door. “Five minutes, please get into your first outfits.”

The four decided to put anything else they wanted to say behind them, and rushed into the fitting rooms.

“Lovely! Lovely!” The photographer shouted, snapping picture after picture.

Adrien and Lila stood off the the side, watching the other pair.

Marinette was wearing a white skirt that flared out, stopping at the middle of her calves. She had white socks paired with light blue Converse. 

Her shirt was the same light blue, with parts of it weathered to be slightly lighter.

The neckline was white and fluffy, paired with a hood of the same quality. 

She was constantly spinning around and leaping, the perfect picture of a peaceful cloud.

Felix was in a deep blue shirt under a leather jacket with blazing white highlights.

He was wearing dark jeans, with a pearl-like chain hanging from the belt.

His feet were covered in dark leather boots with blue laces.

He was a storm, moving and guiding Marinette to all the right places, making sure she was the pinnacle of attention. 

They were modeling the MDC likes “Innocence” and “Electric.”

Adrien was on the sideline, wearing loose blue clothes, from the Culpa line “Aqua” and lila was dressed in the Gabriel line “Ignite.”

The two began to chase each other around the park in an impromptu game of tag.

The photographer laughed with surprise and followed them, snapping pictures as they began to waltz along the rim of the fountain, both humming the same song. 

Soon, Marinette slipped and Adrien lunged forward to help, only to find Felix had caught her in a low dip, his hair just barely brushing against her nose. 

“Ah! Yes!” The photographer shouted, rushing around them, getting a picture from every angle. “Such chemistry!”

He turned to Adrien and Lila, while the other pair hopped off the fountain. “You two can leave, these doves will do your pieces instead.”

Adrien lit up in a grin as Lila lifted her shoulders in indignation. “What about Mr. Agreste? He  wants his son and me to be in the shoot.”

The man waved his hand in the air, like he was shooing away a fly. “He won’t mind when he sees this pure artistry of a photo shoot. Now go, change out of the clothes so the angel and her knight might wear them for the next part.”

She huffed and marched off, while Adrien skipped behind her.

_ I got out of a photo shoot! I can finally spend some time with Nino and Alya and Max and everyone! He changed faster than he ever had before and rushed out of the park, heading for Andre’s. _

He caught a glance of Marinette and Felix laughing with each other and his heart swelled. Normally, any model would groan at the mere thought of working extra hours, but those two were laughing without a care in the world.

Maybe his father disapproving the pairs wasn’t such a bad thing in the end.


	13. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Marinette have been hanging out more often than not lately.

Felix was not what you would call a dense person, by any means.

He was the most intelligent person in class, even compared to Max, who may come close to beating him in mathematics, but was nowhere near him in literary skills. 

Yes, Felix was certainly a bright individual.

So why didn’t he know he and Marinette were dating?

—

It had started about four weeks ago, when Marinette had asked Felix to coffee.

Naturally, he had accepted; it combined his two favorite things, coffee and Marinette.

However, when he said yes, she turned beet red and ran off, yelling thank you.

At the coffee shop, Marinette was more normal, joking around and laughing with him. It was truly enjoyable, so much so that Felix asked if they could do it again some other time.

She turned slightly pink and nodded.

“Friday?”

“Sounds good for my schedule.”

The sun set and Felix was content.

* * *

Days later, their coffee meets became more and more frequent, and the two had been spending more and more time together, but Felix feared it was soon over. 

He had made a passing comment about never eating a chocolate chip cookie, and Marinette froze. 

Throughout the rest of the time, she communicated in few words, and left as soon as she could. 

Could he have offended her?

_ Of course she was offended, you dolt! She’s a bakers daughter! _

Seconds before the bell rang, Marinette sped into the classroom, carrying a pink box.

The minute she sat down next to him, he was all apologies.

“Marinette, I am so sorry if I said something to offend you the other day, I didn’t mean anything by it. I hope you can forgive me and we can continue our coffee meets.” 

She glowered at him and pointed at the box. “Eat it.”

“What?”

“Eat. The. Cookies.”

He tentatively opened the box and noticed cookies of every variety. “Nettte...”

“I figure if you’ve never even had  chocolate chip cookies, you haven’t had other kinds.” She glared again. “Eat.”

He obediently bit into the first cookie he saw, as Marinette slumped into his side.

“That one’s a Snickerdoodle.” She whispered.

“Its delicious.” He murmured back.

* * *

The days after, it seemed that Marinette had taken it upon herself to acquaint Felix with the rest of their classmates.

First, they played a dancing video game against Alya and Nino, who lost.

They took ceramic lessons with Ivan and Mylene.

They went to a fashion event with Adrien and Kagami.

Felix could say with certainty that he was truly getting to know the students in his class.

He did find it odd that they only met with them in pairs, however.

* * *

The breaking point of his revelation was when the fall dance was being advertised.

Felix was in Ms. Mendeleiev’s class, studying chemistry, when he heard the familiar voices of Marinette and Alya.

“So, you’re gonna go with Felix to the dance, right? Do you have outfits planned yet?”

“Well, I’ve been working on outfits just in case, but I haven’t actually... asked him yet.”

Felix could practically see the sheepish expression on her face.

“Seriously? Girl, you’re always the one initiating dates between you two. Culpa needs to step up!”  


”That’s not true...”

“Really? Who was the one who planned to double date with me and Nino? Kagami and Adrien? Any date you’ve ever been on?!”

“He’s just not the type for planned outings...”

“Girl, he is the most structured person in our class. He’s not showing enough dedication.”

“Of course he is!” Marinette’s voice raised in indignation. “He is the best boyfriend i could ever want!”

“He never skips our on our dates, he always makes time for me when I ask, he is so considerate! Just because he’s not the one planning our dates, doesn’t mean he doesn’t put just as much effort in our relationship as I do!”

Felix was stunned. The rest of the conversation drifted from listening range as his thoughts spiraled.

_I’m dating Marinette._

_I have wanted to date Marinette for a number of weeks._

_I have not been the kind of boyfriend I want to be for Marinette._

Then, the conclusion.

_I must be a better partner for the most perfect girl in Paris._

Soon, a plan began the develop in his mind and all thoughts of studying disappeared.

* * *

It was Saturday, Felix was standing a ways outside of the bakery.

His hair was combed, his tie was tied, and a single violet was clutched in his hands.

He entered and, without a single word from him, Sabine Cheng nodded, pointing a single finger up.

He walked calmly upstairs, rehearsing his speech in whispers.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the blue door.

Marinette opened and burst into a smile.

“Hey, Felix! What’re you doing here?”

“Marinette, I’m sorry I haven’t been the boyfriend I should have been, these last few weeks. I’ve been selfish and dense, and you don’t deserve that. Please believe me when I say I want to change, to be better for you. Will you please be my date to the fall dance?”

She took the violet gently, staring at the delicate petals. ”Of course I’ll go with you, but first i have something to confess.”

He nodded.

“For the first couple days we were dating, I didn’t know. Alya needed to tell me.”

Felix swallowed a laugh.

They had some talking to do.


	14. Life and Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix wakes up a kwami. Shenanigans ensue.

Felix woke up and everything seemed... small. He looked around and his eyes landed on a mirror.

There, where he should have been, was a small milk-colored cat kwami. His eyes darted wildly for Plagg, but found nothing.

Plagg was gone and he was a kwami.

Panicking, Felix started to float up, flying through the window, heading to Marinette’s house.

Once he flew through the wall of her bedroom, he laid eyes on a pink, bug-like kwami with deep blue spots.

“Netta?” He gasped, flying at her.

“Felix!” She sped toward him, wrapping her nub-like arms around his neck. 

Suddenly, Felix was overcome by a strange feeling he had never felt before. It was magical, a bond between him and Marinette he could barely comprehend. 

The pink room seemed brighter, more vibrant. Marinette’s eyes looked like stars.

They floated there, dormant, staring into each other’s eyes before a nasally voice broke their magical silence.

“We get it, you’re in love. Can you stop now?”

“Oh, hush, Stinky Sock!”  
  


”Plagg!”  


”Tikki!”

Felix flew up to Plagg’s face. “Why didn’t you wake me up? Or bring me, for that matter.”

“You were doing the go-through-stuff thing.” He drawled. “Besides, you sleep like a rock anyway.”

“Tikki, what happened to us?” Marinette asked, nuzzling into the former kwami’s neck.

“I don’t know, we need to get to Master Fu, but your parents are right downstairs. I don’t know how we’re going to pass them.”

“What if we just transform?” Plagg crossed his arms and shrugged.

“We don’t know what that will do to them!”  


“I believe we should transform.” Felix agreed. “It’s the most reliable method of transportation.”

“See? I say go for it. Felix, claws out!”

The last thing Felix heard before he was sucked into the ring was Tikki’s mutter.

“I’m definitely going to regret this.”

* * *

Felix had often wondered what kwamis experienced when their holder was transformed; finally he had an answer.

It was dark, and blurry. Felix could see a thing, save the few moments where he was the movement of Plagg’s arm, or the Paris skyline. However, he still couldn’t hear a thing.

He felt himself getting weaker and weaker, until there was a flash of green light and Felix was resting in Plagg’s hands.

“Cheese.” He groaned.

“Look Plagg, he sounds just like you!” Tikki giggled from where she was holding a cookie in front of Marinette’s mouth. 

“Hello to you too, Felix.” Master Fu smiled with his usual good humor as he handed Felix a block of cheese.

“...what is this?”

“It’s cheese.”

“It’s not delicious cheese.”

“Plagg cackled. “That’s my kitten.”

“Felix, just eat the cheese so we can find out what happened.” Marinette groaned.

“Fine, for you, angel.” He swallowed the cheese and cringed. Definitely not as good as Camembert.

“So, what happened to us, Master?”

“Well, I consulted the books, and it seems that this is just something that occurs when the bond between kwami and bolder is especially strong. It should pass by tomorrow morning.”

“Well, in that case,” Plagg slid over to Tikki. “Whaddya say if you and me go out and do human things?”

“Yes!” She jumped. “Let’s do human things!”

The two ran out of the room and into the streets of Paris, looking every bit like the love-struck couple they were.

“So,” Felix wrapped his tail around Marinette’s waist, feeling that magical bond, “do you want to do kwami things?”

She beamed. “I thought you’d never ask.”

The two dove into the miracle box, exited to see the other kwamis.

* * *

Felix woke up, and was overjoyed to find his hands and fingers had returned.

He rushed to prepare for school, ingnoring Plagg’s cries about “How could Andre give me the sweet one and Tikki the cheesecake one? It’s a bias against cats, that’s what it is.”

He ran to catch a bus, managing to get to the front steps of the building just as Marinette halted her mad dash of tardiness.

Felix smiled and held out his hand in a silent question, which she answered by immediately pressing her palm to his. 

Felix blinked as the new and familiar bond they had as kwamis rushed between them again. He had never expected it to return.

**The bond between life and death.**


	15. Pride

“Ah, brave warrior! Will you be the one to rescue the fair maiden from the fearsome black knight and his fiery dragon?”

It was a renaissance fair, one of the most under appreciated events in Paris, in Felix’s opinion. The entire class was there, standing behind Felix and Marinette in a crowd.

He stared at the hilt of the sword offered to him with dull eyes.

He had absolutely no intention of playing the part of the hero in this likely rigged game.

If he accepted, he would try multiple times and fail, to the hilarity of the viewers. After he had been thoroughly humiliated, he would be allowed to leave with a coupon for a turkey leg or some other nonsense.

He looked out of the corner of his eye to Marinette, who was staring at him with pleading eyes.

He sighed. “Fine.”

“Huzza!” The actor raised his hands in the air as Felix accepted the sword. “Go forth, warrior, into the tent where they will fit you with the finest armor and weaponry.

Felix rolled his eyes as Marinette eagerly dragged him into the tent.

* * *

Marinette sat eagerly on a table as the seamstresses took measurements. She had all sorts of questions for the workers

“What sort of material do you use for capes? Is it naturally dyed?”

Then, finally, the question she had been leading up to all along.

“Are there any other entrances to the damsel’s tower?”

One of the seamstresses looked at her quizzically while the other answered her question.

A smirk grew slowly on Marinette’s face as she leaned forward and described a plan to the group; Felix’s interest was just as soon piqued.

* * *

Alya was kinda bored. They were all waiting for Felix come out and save the maiden. She had her phone out and was waiting for the action, but she, like everyone else, was getting restless.

If only Felix would come out.

“Seriously, how long does it take for a dude to put on armor?”

“I dunno,” Nino said, scrolling through his playlists, “it always seemed pretty complicated to me.”

“Lords and Ladies!” An announcer shouted into a bullhorn, drawing attention from all around. “Prepare to watch the mighty knight, Sir Culpa, rescue the fair damsel from the tower!”

A figure dressed in iron strutted out, a deep blue plume atop his helmet, the metal covering his entire face, save his eyes, but even those were mostly covered by a metal grate.

A mace was clutched in his armored fingers, and a sheathed sword was hanging from his belt.

“Our mighty knight seems to have chosen a mace with which to face the dark warrior, but will it protect him against the evil one’s broadsword?””

As the crowds cheered, the announcer was passed a note.

“Oh, what’s this? I have just been informed that this damsel isn’t just any fair maiden, but the knight Culpa’s own lady love!”

A violet-gloved hand came out from the window of the tower, tossing out a familiar handkerchief that fluttered and fell into the waiting hand of the armored Felix. 

“That’s Marinette!” Alya shouted, awestruck.

This was gonna be good.

Felix walked forward, facing the dark knight as best he could, being about a foot shorted than the man.

The knight mumbled something, but felix only tossed his hand like it was only a minor concern.

“It looks like Sir Culpa has rejected the malicious knight’s offer for a handicap! No hits will be held back in this match.”

The knight swung his broadsword in a wide arc, but Felix ducked and spun behind the towering male, slamming his mace behind his knees.

The broad man fell, and Felix ripped the plume from the top of his head to ensure the win.

Suddenly, the ground seemed to shake and a giant robotic dragon lumbered in from behind the tower.

Felix was not at all slowed from his pursuit of the tower; he easily chucked the plume into the beast’s throat, effectively choking it.

As the creature gagged, Felix pulled his blade from its sheath, revealing it to be a miniature dagger.

He tossed the dagger at the exposed throat of the dragon, and it stuck, enciting a screech from the monstrosity. He then shouldered his mace and swung it like a bat as he leapt, pounding the blade into the creatures throat, killing it.

“I can’t believe it! Ladies, lords, you are witnessing history here! This the fastest time any knight has ever defeated the avenging fire worm!”

The beast toppled with a pitiful cry and Felix stepped over it and entered the tower.

Alya waited with bated breath for felix to cart out a blushing Marinette in a princess carry.

Instead, a lavender clothed  Felix lounged in the arms of the returning hero.

Felix said something that was lost in the cheers of the crowd and lifted the helmet from his rescuer’s crown.

Familiar blue hair fell from the helmet, revealing the hero to be Marinette, smiling merrily as she carried Felix to safety.

No one could believe it.

* * *

Felix felt his face heating up and prayed his blush wasn’t too visible.

An incomprehensible mumble came from behind the bulky knight helmet.

“What?” He lifted the helmet and felt his heart stop as Marinette’s sparkling eyes met his.

“I said, ‘How’s about a kiss for your savior?’”

“Well, if you insist, my knight.”

He wove one of his hands into her loose hair and pressed a chaste, lasting kiss to her grinning lips.

He felt all sorts of pride welling up inside of him as Marinette set him to his feet and was mobbed by all of their classmates.

Kim pulled back from the massive group hug and eyed Felix’s lavender attire.

“Felix, are you wearing a dress?”

He smirked and flipped back his hair, jutting out his hip without a single cautionary thought.

“That I am, and i happen to wear it better than  you could ever dream to.”

He may have been proud of Marinette for being his protecting knight, but seeing the admiration in Marinette’s expression as Kim spluttered out halfhearted insults told him that she was just as proud of him. 


	16. Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After giving Marinette a hand-made elephant, Felix meets his future daughter who sheds some light on the situation.

Felix brushed his finger against the silky fabric in his bag, anxiously awaiting Marinette’s arrival.

He would have to be an idiot to say he didn’t have a crush on the girl, but it did concern him that it had taken him this long to initiate a friendship with her. 

Today was her middle name day, and he had made hers gift, a pink patchwork elephant.

Before he could get too caught up in his thoughts, Marinette barreled into him, sending them both onto the ground.

“Hi Felix!”

“Hello Marinette. Lovely day, isn’t it?” Felix looked away so as not to think about how close their faces were.

“Yeah, it’s really nice.” She crawled off of him and stood, offering him a hand.

“Hello Marinette. Lovely day, isn’t it?” Felix looked away so as not to think about how close their faces were.

“Thank you,” He stuck a hand in his bag, pulling out the lopsided pachyderm, “and happy middle name day.”

She accepted the stuffed creature and looked at it.

“I saw a pattern for it online and I knew you liked pink, and your love language has always seemed to be gifts so I thought you would like it. If you don’t, I can take it back; I’ll buy you some fabric or a new sketchbook instead.” He was rambling, a usual nervous habit of his. 

“Actually Felix, I-“ an alarm sounded far off in the distance and Marinette froze.

“I have to go.” She turned around and began running to the bakery.

_She hates it._

Felix groaned and pressed the heels of his hands against his eyelids, toppling onto the nearby bench. 

Thank heavens the park was empty so he could have his outburst in peace.

He felt an odd shock go through him, but thought nothing of it.

_Probably just the mild self hatred._

“Daddy? Are you sleeping?”

Felix peeked through his fingers to see a little six year old, staring at him with a tilted head.

“I’m not your father, little girl. You should probably leave, there’s an akuma attack going on.”

“Is that why I’m here, Daddy?” The girl persisted.

Felix rose and looked at the girl fully, about to remind her yet again that he was not her dad, but then stopped.

The girl had pale,  _pale_ blue hair, tied into braided pigtails with a fabric reminiscent to the tie he was wearing today. She had a lavender vest on and a matching pale yellow skirt. 

However, the thing that caught his eye was the too-familiar hand sewn elephant clutched to her chest.

_Of course she gave it away as soon as she could._

He sighed. “Who are you, girl?”

She straightened, a fierce expression on those bright blue eyes.

“My name’s Felicity Angelica Culpa.”

“Culpa?”

She grinned, showing a space between her teeth. “Yup!”

“You’re my daughter from the future, brought to me by the akuma.”

“Uh huh.”

“May I see that elephant?”

She handed it over. “It’s Momma’s, I’m not supposed to take it outside; the akuma was an accident.”

“I’m sure your mother will forgive you.” He turned the elephant onto its side, revealing a date sewn onto it. Today’s date.

“What does this date mean?”

“It’s when Momma says she stopped being denser than an Agreste.”She explained, sitting next to him. 

“Fitting.”

“Daddy, what’s an Agreste?”

“A very silly person, Felicity.” He replied, handing her the elephant.

She pouted. “That’s what you said last time, too.”

The two sat and chatted, and Felix felt immensely disappointed as the magical ladybugs covered him and his future daughter.

The disappointment soon turned to surprise as Felicity remained sitting next to him.

She looked around, then at Felix. “Why am I still here?”

Felix puzzled over that for a moment, soon coming to a slightly concerning conclusion.

“The akuma is in your time, not mine, so you have to stay here until your Ladybug fixes it.

Looks like he would have to be a parent.

* * *

Luckily enough, the school didn’t mind that he had brought in his future daughter.

“She’s so cute!” Allegra squealed, swinging her around.

“Yeah, I’m still surprised you can actually repro-“ Mercury was cut off by Claude slamming a hand to his mouth. 

“Not in front of the kid!” He hissed.

“Uncle Claude and Uncle Mercury are silly.” Felicity declared, to the agreement of Allegra.

Almost the instant class began, Felicity tugged on his sleeve.

“Daddy, I need to use the restroom.”

He nodded. “Do you think you can find it or should I take you?”

She squared her shoulders. “I can find it.”

Felix set her off, devoting the rest of his attention to calculus.

* * *

It was almost lunch break. Felicity still wasn’t back.

Did her Ladybug cast the cure while she was on her way to the bathroom?

Did she get kidnapped?

What if she wandered out of school?

As soon as the bell rang, felix shot from his chair and bolted through the hallways.

“Felicity? Felicity?”

“Daddy?” The baby blue hair Felix had so painstakingly tied into a bun was visible from across the school. 

“Felicity!” He fell to his knees and embraced her, a few rouge tears falling from his face. “I thought you ran off.”

“No, I’m okay! I was just visiting Momma!”

  
  
Felix’s eyes scanned the class, landing on the familiar pigtails he saw every afternoon.

“Okay, let’s go now. It’s time for lunch.”

“Yay!” She bounded after him, oblivious the the many stares following her and Felix.

* * *

That morning, Felicity was gone.

Felix couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness at the loss of his daughter, despite the fact she was going home to a him that was better suited to parenting.

He walked to school alone, something that he had done every day, but even that one day walking with Felicity made it better.

He went through all his classes as he usually did, but without those five minute before class with Felicity, the day felt dull. 

However much the day seemed to trudge on, it was over faster than he expected. 

As he prepared his things for the walk home, a series of pattering steps sounded from the hallway, getting louder and louder by the second before stopping.

“Hey Felix,” Allegra teased, “your girlfriend’s here.”

Marinette was standing in the doorway, blushing like a rose. Her fists her clenched at her sides and she was looking down.

“Marinette... why are you-“

“I love the elephant!” She shouted. “It was really sweet of you to do that and it’s adorable.”

A tension was released from Felix’s shoulders. “Thank you.”

“Do you want to go on a date with me sometime? I have tickets to a Jagged Stone concert, I don’t know if it’s your thing or not, but it’s today and...”

Felix smiled. “I would love to.”

She looked up and Felix could see the faint tears in her eyes. “Really?”

“Of course.”

She grinned, lunging forwards to grab his arm. “Come on! It’s in like twenty minutes and it’s a thirty minute walk!”

Felix allowed himself to be pulled out of class, ignoring Claude’s catcalls.

* * *

The concert was lovely, but the walk back to Marinette’s home was much better.

The two walked hand in hand, both trying to tame fierce blushes.

“I’ve been carrying it around.” Marinette confessed, looking at Felix. “The elephant.”

She pulled it out, showing it to Felix.

“I just couldn’t bring myself to put it down.”

A passing car illuminated the elephant just enough for Felix to make out an addition.

“Is that... yesterday’s date?”

“Yeah, it’s when I realized I liked you as more than just a friend.”

_“It’s when Momma says she stopped being denser than an Agreste.”_

Felix stopped.

‘Wait. You- Felicity- mother?” Words poured out of his mouth of their own accord.

She laughed, pressing a tender kiss to his cheek, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Better, start praying I’m not an utter failure as a mom, huh?”

He forced himself to overcome the shock of the kiss and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“Judging by how amazing our daughter is at six years old and how much time we have to prepare, I believe we will be exquisite parents.”


	17. Model

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette wins a completion and gets to model for the Gabriel line. Felix is… less than pleased.

Felix detested modeling. This much Marinette was certain of.

  
She could tell from the sound of his voice when they video called because a photo shoot went too long.

She could tell by how he rolled his eyes whenever Lila bragged about being a prestigious model.

She could tell by the number of times he would mumble “I hate modeling,” into her neck as they hugged for the first time in weeks.

So, when Marinette won the opportunity to model for the Gabriel brand, she decided not to tell him.

* * *

  
She didn’t know what the prize was when she entered; she just thought it was some other design competition that would get her recognition.

  
Needless to say, when the letter arrived, telling her the details for the shoot, she was almost knocked out of her seat.

After talking with Tikki and her parents, she decided it would be best if she accepted the offer.

She was a budding designer; she needed to get her name out in the community and any exposure at this point was good exposure.

The next day, she was surrounded by lights and an odd man yelling about spaghetti.

* * *

  
“Marinette.” Felix slammed something on her desk. “What. Is. This.”

It was the results of the photo shoot, but she really didn’t want to tell him that.

“It’s… Gabriel’s newest designs?”

He sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. “I know that, but why are you on the cover?”

She pressed her fingers against each other. “I entered a designing contest and that was the prize, so I figured any exposure is good exposure when I’m just getting my name out in the community.”

  
Felix said nothing, just staring at her.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry? Sorry!” He laughed. “Netta, _you’re_ not the one that should be sorry. Yes, I wish you told me, but only so I could stop something like this from happening!”

“What?” She stared at the magazine, finding no error in it. “Nothing seems to be the matter.”

“Look at the women you were standing with in the back.”

  
“What’s wrong with them? They were all really nice to me.”

“Look at what you were all wearing!”

“The bathing suits? I mean, sure they were a little much, but…”

“A little much?” Felix reached out and grabbed Marinette’s hand. “Netta I really don’t want to have to spell this out for you, but I will.”

He placed his free hand on the magazine. “Agreste is wearing a _black pair of swim trunks_ and yet your _widely edited_ suit is put in the background! It’s idiotic! Your design should clearly be in the foreground; you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to Gabriel’s brand!”

  
Marinette fought back a giggle. “Really? That’s why you’re so upset?”

“Yes, in fact I’ve already set up another shoot with my mothers brand for this Saturday, to reconcile this despicable mistake. That is, assuming you’re free.”

  
“Will you be there?”

  
“Of course. I may not enjoy the tedious hours of modeling, but that’s not to say I haven’t learned a thing or two about photography and _common sense_.”

  
“Pfff.” Marinette could fight her giggles no longer.

“Marinette, please, this is serious.”

  
“No it isn’t! I’m just trying to get people to recognize my name.”

“So this shoot will further that!”

  
“You know what?” She raised her hands. “I surrender. I’ve got nothing going on Saturday, I’ll be your model.”

  
He sighed. “Thank you, that’s all I ask.”

* * *

  
“Hey Marinette?” A timid voice came up from behind her.

“Oh, Juleka. Hi!”

  
“Hey. I was wondering if you would sign the shoot you did.”

“Oh yeah! No problem.”

  
“Actually,” Felix slid in front of her, “Marinette, as an employee of Culpa designing, will only be signing _these_ photos.” He swapped the Agreste shoot with a picture from the Culpa shoot.

Juleka’s eyes widened and she lifted her bangs for a better look. “Whoa.”

Felix nodded. “Indeed.”

“Will you sign it?”

Marinette grinned. “Of course.” She scribbled her signature at the bottom.

“Thanks, you’re definitely my favorite model.”

  
Marinette stood stock still, stunned.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, famed model and designer.”

  
“Stop it!” She laughed and punched him in the arm.

“I’m not wrong; you truly enjoyed it and there’s no reason why you can’t do both.”

Marinette pondered that for a moment.

_Why not both?_

—Bonus—

  
“No, I’ll just be a **model** designer!” She smirked and finger gunned at him.

Felix groaned. “No puns please.”

“No problem, but could you **model** how quiet I should be?”

  
“I’m regretting everything.”


	18. Frenemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami and Marinette are close friends. Alya is skeptical.

“Sorry Alya, I promised Kagami I would go to her fencing match; her mom didn’t want to come and it’s important that she gets some support.” Marinette gave Alya an apologetic smile and ran off.

“ _Kagami_? Seriously, girl?” Alyas skepticism was the last thing Marinette heard before setting off in a jog to grab the pastries for the picnic they had planned for afterwards.

Just as she was about to cross the street, she stopped, realization hitting her like a brick to the face.

“My book bag!”

She turned around, dashing back to the school. _I can probably go in, get the bag and have time to get the stuff and go to the match._ She figured, opening the door.

She waved to Kagami, who was preparing for the competition.

Using a chaotic method of signs, she was able to tell her she forgot her bag, but she would be in time for the match and the picnic. At least, she thought so. Kagami was typing something on her phone when she looked up, but her mom was pretty strict; she was probably just checking in.

Once up the stairs, she turned to her home rooms door, but stopped, catching her breath.

“Sorry everyone, Marinette’s not coming.” Alya said, with a voice that sounded like she was shrugging.

_Everyone? She just said it would be five people._

“Sorry Lila.” Kim said.

“It’s fine, I just wish we didn’t have to resort to trickery to get us to be friends.”

“I dunno, I think she sees right through us. She said she was hanging out with _Kagami_ of all people.”

“They have been friendlier lately…” Adrien murmured.

“Kagami and Marinette are _such_ frenamies!” Lila laughed.

“Frenamies?”

“You know, when people are still friendly with each other, even though they’re competing.”

“They’re competing? Over what?”

Marinette shook her head fondly; after telling him _five_ times, and Kagami telling him all the time, he still forgot she ever had a crush on him.

It made making jokes about it very difficult.

“You of course.” Lila giggled.

“Lila!” Alya gasped. “You can’t just tell people that!”

“You didn’t already know? Oh, Adrien I’m so sorry.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and prepared to make her semi-dramatic entrance when Adrien spoke again.

“It’s okay, no harm no foul, right? Anyway, I have to go, I’ve got a fencing meet soon and I need to get this to Marinette. Bye!”

Marinette spring back a few steps, acting like she had just made it up the stairs.

“Oh, Marinette! I got your bag! Did you not get my message?”

“My phones in..”

“..In your bag, right.” He held it out to her. “Here. You should hurry, the match starts pretty soon.”

“Will do! You’ll be at the park after, right? For our picnic?”

“Definitely.” Adrien hooped down the stairs.

Just as he was out of view, Marinette prepared herself for a wild run down the stairs.

* * *

“Whooo! Go Kagami!”

“You do know she’s not up yet?” Felix chuckled from beside her.

“Yeah, I know.” She squeezed his hand. “But see over there? She’s warming up, so I am too, by cheering on her warm up.”

“You never cease to amaze me, Netta.” He squeezed her hand in return.

She was about to quip back an answer, but an angry reporter caught her eye.

“Marinette!”

She quickly let go of Felix’s hand and looked to Alya, who was rapidly climbing the bleachers.

“Hey, Alya, what’s up?”

“What’s up with _you_? I thought you were better than this, girl.”

“Alya, I don’t know what you mean.”

“I mean you and Kagami! Being all buddy-buddy just because you want Adrien!”

“Alya-“

“Just because you like the same boy doesn’t mean you can toy with people like this.”

This was getting nowhere.

“So I suggest you stop pretending to be friends with her and just tell Adrien…”

Her voice trailed off as Marinette grabbed Felix by the collar and pressed her lips to his.

He jolted momentarily but soon placed his hands on her hips, pulling her closer.

Marinette had only meant for the kiss to show Alya she was dating Felix, but she soon lost herself in the familiar embrace.

She pulled back after she heard the crowds begin to cheer, and gave Alya a look.

“As you can clearly see, I’m not friends with Kagami because I want to date Adrien. Anyway, it’s her match now, so if you want to stay you can, but know I will be cheering for her as loud as my lungs can muster.”

With wide eyes, Alya turned away and walked down the stairs.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Felix breathed, “but what was all that about?”   
  


“Nothing,” she hummed back, “just setting things straight.” She grinned. “That and I like kissing you.”

She spring to her feet before Felix could even blush. “Yeah! Kagami!”


	19. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Marinette are captured by an akuma and need to rescue each other, many, many times.

“Netta!” Felix lunged forwards against the arms restraining him.

“Felix!” Marinette fell towards him, but Juleka knocked her to her knees, forcing her to watch as Nora dragged Felix out of view.

“There there, Marinette.” Alya cooed, patting her head condescendingly. “It will all be better once Cootie Catcher heals you from that _boy’s_ cooties.”

“What are you gonna do to him?” She whispered.

“The same thing we’re going to do to every boy, silly!” Rose piped in. “We’ll throw them in the pit until their cooties show their true nature.”

“Cootie Catcher?” An akuma?

“She can show you the truth about boys and their cooties.” Mylene said. “Come, let’s introduce you.”

It was then Marinette noticed, every girl’s eyes were a stunning violet.

* * *

Felix groaned, laying his head against the wall.

“Hey! No sounds, boy.” Alya’s older sister was standing above him, looking down into the pit.

Felix resigned himself to pondering his problem.

He had been attacked and dragged into a pit.

He had been separated from Marinette.

He had heard the word “cooties” thrown around.

His conclusion was clear; there was an akuma taking control of the school, likely a young girl.

Felix allowed himself to relax, and scanned the area above his prison for the most likely place Marinette would save him from.

* * *

“Manon?”

“No!” She pouted and stomped her foot. “It’s Cootie Catcher!”

“Forgive her, Cootie Catcher.” Alya bowed low. “She was with a _boy_ when we found her.”

“A boy?” Manon glowered. “That’s not okay, we need to catch the cooties.”

“Will do.” Marinette saw blue hair like her own.

“Maman? How could you be doing this? What about Papa?”

“That’s different dear; he’s a dad. You’ll understand after you’re cleansed.” Without another word, Marinette was shoved into an entirely pink room.

“Cleaning starts in three minutes.” Ms. Bustier was just barely visible behind the pink tinted window.

There was no time for a plan.“Tikki, spots on!”

Ladybug kicked her way through the glass, running to where she last saw Manon.

“You’ll never catch me, Ladybug! If you try, I’ll get rid of all of the boys!”

She halted, ducking in a corner and detransforming.

“What are you doing, Marinette?”

“Ladybug may be a threat to Cootie Catcher, but a ‘cootie cleansed’ Marinette isn’t.”

She stepped back into the hall, pulling down her bangs to mask her not-purple eyes.

* * *

Felix had been merely resting when he heard a terrible commotion coming from above the pit.

“Gah!” Nora fell next to Felix and stopped moving.

He looked up, expecting to see his girlfriend in her red and black attire, but instead saw her dressed in her usual pink.

“Hey Felix! Need any help?”

He nodded his head stiffly, words failing him.

“Okay, well, imma help you out and then I need to get Manon.” She threw down a makeshift rope and Felix began his climb.

Once he was up, Marinette transformed into Ladybug and pecked him on the cheek.

“Gotta go deal with Cootie Catcher now, bye!”

Felix watched as his spotted rescuer swung out of view, before walking in that very direction.

* * *

She was losing; even with Chat Noir there for the first few moments, she was losing.

She dodged yet another blow from Alya, sliding her legs out from under her. There were just too many girls in Cootie Catcher’s army.

Suddenly, just as she activated her lucky charm, a tie clip, she felt a giant pain in the back of her head and fell to her knees.

She slid to her side, and curled her knees close to her chest, staring blankly at the approaching Cootie Catcher.

The world started to blur together, and just before she lost consciousness, she saw a creeping grey and white blur come behind the blur she recognized as Cootie Catcher.

* * *

The minute he saw Ladybug close her eyes, Felix pounced onto the unsuspecting akuma.

When she released the glowing staff, he kicked it to the side and lunged after it, grabbing it and easily snapping it over his knee.

He stood for a moment to watch the butterfly climb out of the rod, before plucking Ladybug’s yo-yo from her fist.

After a moment of trial and error, he managed to open it and he swung it at the escaping insect.

His eyes soon caught on a spotted object and he inspected it.

_The lucky charm only heals Paris if Ladybug throws it._ He realized. _So I have two choices; I could borrow Marinette’s earrings or get her to throw the clip._

Deciding on the latter, he pocketed the clip and lifted Ladybug to her feet, supporting her arm with his shoulder.

“Netta,” he whispered, “you need to wake up.”

“Felix?” Her eyes fluttered but stayed mostly closed.

“Yes, it’s Felix. You need to preform the miraculous ladybug cure.”

“Miraculous ladybug?”

“Yes, just say that again.” Felix slid the clip between her fingertips.

“Miraculous ladybug.” She mumbled again, lifting her hand slightly.

The clip exploded in a mass of red and black, spiraling around all of them.

He felt Marinette’s weight lessen and watched as she stepped away from him to tend to all of Hawkmoth’s victims.

She truly was the miraculous rescuer of Paris and the savior of his heart.


	20. Collision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Marinette watch a meteor shower with Adrien and Kagami.

She curled into his side, the moonlight making her midnight hair glow.

“Now?”

“Not yet, we still have a few minutes.”

“Then why on Earth did we did we come _twenty minutes_ ago?”

“You have an interesting habit of being late, my angel.”

She huffed. “Low blow.”

“I know, sorry Netta.”

“Felix? Marinette?” Adrien came up from behind them, Kagami walking alongside. “What are you two doing here?”

“We’re gonna watch the meteor-space thing.” Marinette grinned, beckoning then over.

“The meteor collision.” Felix corrected.

“Yeah, that.”

“Neat, I think I saw something about that on TV.” Adrien plopped down next to Kagami.

“Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news.” Kagami quoted with a deadpan before turning to talk with Marinette.

Felix leaned back so he could see Adrien and began speaking to him.

“So, how much free time have you had in this week alone?”

He squinted. “Five… minutes?”

“It’s unhealthy for a young boy like you to have so little time for to do as he wants. It’s awful of your father to force you into that kind of lifestyle so early”

“Yeah… Kagami’s been teaching me about that, finding my own path and getting freedom” He brightened. “Anyway, I’ve been wondering, what did you and Marinette do for your anniversary? Ours is coming up and I want to do something really special and I need some inspiration from the most couple-goals pair I’ve ever seen.”

Felix smiled fondly, remembering the day. “It was a weekend, so we were able to spend the whole day together. I met her at her house for breakfast and coffee, and we spent the morning in the library.

“That afternoon we went to a fashion event, and we stopped at my home so I could make us lunch.

“We spent the evening at an illuminated light garden and we watched the sunset from a little known pavilion.

“For dinner, we went to a romantic restaurant where I gave her the necklace I made for her and she gave me the engraved tie clip she bought.”

“A whole day together?” Adrien worries his lip. “I don’t think we could manage that, with our parents and our schedules and our anniversary is on a Monday.”

“It doesn’t have to be the same as ours you’re both different people, it just has to be an occasion you can share with each other.”

He grinned, his mind going to a place Felix could not reach even if he tried. “I think I can do that.”

“Guys!” Marinette whispered to them as Kagami finished typing something on her phone. “It’s starting!”

Felix sat up and put his arm around Marinette’s waist, pulling her close. Out of her corner of his eye, he could see Adrien doing the same.

As the meteor began to plummet, Felix found himself almost in the glory of space. The two largest meteorites found their paths intersecting, and exploded in a green and crimson expanse.

Marinette pokes his side, holding a phone out to him. “I need light.” She

As soon as the flashlight was turned on, she devoted herself to she sketchbook, scribbling down dozens to galaxy designs.

In that moment, watching her work, Felix forgot about the glory of space and other such nonsense entirely, in favor of observing a different nebula.

After her twentieth design, she looked up at him, allowing him a glimpse of her sapphire eyes.

“What do you think?” She gestured to the pages.

“They’re amazing, just like you and everything else you’ve made.” He pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I dunno…” She murmured to herself skeptically. “You might just be saying that ‘cause we’re dating.”

“I assure I am not.”

“Ehhh, turn the light to Kagami and Adrien, I need another opinion.”

He rotated the light and spun it right back, blinking rapidly.

“What are you doing?” She grabbed the phone and turned it to the couple again. “I need to talk to…” Her sentence trailed off, leaving them both in stunned silence.

There, beside her on the blanket, was Kagami and Adrien locked in… a rather passionate kiss. Adrien was on Kagami’s lap, and his fingers were tangled desperately into her hair. Kagami was pulling Adrien by his hips closer and closer, even though there was no space between them.

Marinette pivoted the camera back to Felix, and though he couldn’t see her in the faded light, he was certain she was blushing.

“I didn’t even hear them…”

“They’re probably used to stolen moments of silence, they’ve likely had practice.”

“So they’re good?” She turned back to her sketchbook.

“I believe so.”

“Mmmm… okay.”

A bright flash from the sky caught their attention, and they looked up in time to see another brilliant collision; pink and ice blue spiraling together.

 _A perfect pair of colors._ Felix thought, looking at Marinette working on her designs.


	21. Dates

There were some things Felix could count on in life; taxes, Marinette, and double dates with Kagami and Adrien every month.

Last month they had gone bowling and had pizza, so this month was Felix and Marinette’s choice.

Marinette had been talking about it for weeks, so when the time came, Felix knew where to make the reservation.

Laser tag.

He ordered the largest room, usually prepared for at least fifty people, for the four of them, Marinette almost fainted in elation.

Luckily enough, the place was closing soon, so rooms were rather cheap and this one was perfect for their shared budget.

It was going to be the best double date yet.

* * *

Marinette jumped in front of him, allowing him a glimpse of her bouncing ponytail.

She had dressed in all black, and was carrying four black beanies in her purse.

Kagami and Adrien were waiting for them on the bench in front of the arena, and leapt up as soon as they saw them arrive.

“Ready for war?” She grinned, tossing the beanies at them both.

“Definitely.” Adrien grinned, and Kagami nodded her head with all of the determination of a battle hardened warrior.

Felix quickly described the rules as they strapped themselves into their jackets.

“We will each have one gun, point it at the glowing spots on the jacket. If you get hit, you must return to a specific area in order to return to the game. We are playing by capture the flag rules.”

Marinette took Felix’s hand. “Alright, we’ll team up by couples first and see where we go from there.”

She pulled him down one of the corridors, shouting, “Go through the others tunnel and press the button! That’s how the game starts.”

As soon as they heard the sound of receding footsteps, they were running down the hall, stopping only when they saw the button.

“Okay,” Marinette panted, “we have a good three minutes to talk strategy.”

“Excellent, I believe they will do a duel attack with Kagami on the offensive and Adrien either supporting her from behind or guarding nearer the flag.”

She nodded. “If they separate, we should work as a pair, but if they don’t, I say we split up.”

“Solid plan.” His hand hovered over the button. “Shall we?”

She nodded, slapping his hand onto the button.

“Hide the green flag.” An animatronic voice sounded. “Find the red. Don’t get shot.”

“Well now, how can we lose?” Felix asked, grabbing the green flag and stuffing it under the smallest fake rock her could spot.

“Right?” Marinette laughed and took a defensive position close to Felix, pointing the gun out into the unknown.

“Red team has joined the game. Round starts in five, four, three, two, one.”

Kagami blazed towards them, already firing with deadly accuracy.

Or, at least, it would be deadly if it wasn’t just a game and Marinette and Felix weren’t dodging every attack.

They fought like a well oiled machine, dogging every shot and firing back, getting closer and closer with every shot.

Finally, Kagami’s jacket beeped, signaling that she needed to go to her specific station to get back into the game.

Despite her losing, she laughed and waved. “Adrien! Your turn.” Was the last thing they heard from her before she walked off to find her station.

The minute she was out of sight, Marinette grabbed Felix’s shoulder and spun him around, firing a single shot into the dark.

“Aww.” Adrien pouted, coming out into the open. “I hadn’t even shot at you!”

“Breathed too hard, Agreste.” Marinette smirked.

They dashed to the other side of the room, desperately trying to find the flag before Kagami and Adrien got back in.

Felix kicked over every stone and checked behind every wall. Marinette stood guard, watching out for him.

There! Draped over a wall. Felix walked towards in and hopped to grab it, clicking the tiny transmitter sewn onto the fabric, alerting to the system that he had won.

Marinette kissed his cheek and grabbed his hand to pull him out and prepare for another round.

* * *

Needless to say, Felix was nervous. He and Adrien were in a team, which he was pleased about, but that meant that Kagami and Marinette were on a team, which was utterly terrifying.

They had decided to go on the defensive, with one boy posted by one corner of the expansive section where the flag was hidden.

He had not seen the girls yet in the ten minutes they had been playing.

There was an odd sound from the section next to him, so Felix signaled to Adrien that he would investigate.

He nodded and turned forward, staring at the expanse of dimly lit darkness with a well practiced grin.

Felix stepped out and surveyed the land; there were multiple places anyone could be hiding, but only a few seemed likely.

His eyes caught on an escaping flash, exiting from behind a short pile of rocks.

He fired a shot or two at the escapee, missing by a long range. He then prowled closer to the pile of rock, to see if the runaway had left her partner behind.

Felix was just in front of the pile, when nimble hands came out and knocked his gun out of the way.

One of them laced itself through his hair and it was then Felix knew who these hands belonged to.

“Hello, Angel.”

“Hi Felix.” Her breath was teasing against his lips, becoming warmer and warmer.

Suddenly, Felix was pulled forwards into Marinette.

She kissed him softly, possessively, like it would break her to feel him step away.

Felix melted into the kiss, like he did with any of Marinette’s touches. He placed his hands on the stone to steady himself, and lost himself in the angel who had so graciously blessed him.

Days could have gone by, and Felix would not have known.

An annoying beeping tore him away from Marinette, and he looked to find the source of such a sound, only to see Marinette’s gun, placed against his deactivated jacket. A yelp from Adrien told him the same had happened to him.

“Marinette…”

“Sorry, Starlight.” She whispered. “But I do not lose.”

The affirming sound from the loudspeaker agreed.

“Red team wins.”

“Good heavens, I love you.”

She kissed him again, grinning against his lips. “I know.”

* * *

The third round resulted in an unstoppable force (the combined cuteness of Marinette and Adrien) against an immovable object (Felix and Kagami’s composure).

They lost in minutes.

Now, they were lounging at Marinette’s home, snacking on baked goods as Felix worked on a meal.

“I severely hope you never become akumatized, Marinette.” Kagami shook her head. “All of Paris would burn.”

“Indeed,” Felix placed the platter down, “Ladybug and Chat Noir would have surrendered in mere seconds.”

“And then Hawkmoth!” Adrien laughed, piling pancakes onto his plate.

“Remind me why we are eating breakfast food in the afternoon?” Kagami asked as Adrien maneuvered a syrupy piece of pancake into her mouth. “Not that I’m opposed.”

“Because it’s simple to make and enjoyed by all.” Felix declared, topping the massive pile of whipped cream on his pancakes with a single strawberry.

“Definitely.” Marinette finished pouring chocolate over her pancakes with a flourish. “And we still need to play Ultimate Mech Strike Three until our thumbs fall off, and anything else would have taken too long.”

“And that.”

“Well, I’m done eating!” Adrien stood. “Nothing’s stopping us from doing it right now.”

“Heck yes!” Marinette lunged from the table and snagged her favorite remote. “Let’s do this!”

Kagami and Felix continued eating as Adrien and Marinette trash talked from the couch.

Their double date had become as casual as if they had merely intended to hang out as friends.

Felix couldn’t have wanted it any other way.


	22. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Felix’s entire lives are just trust exercises.

“Did I tell him about the chew toy for Fang!?” Marinette bolted up, startling Tikki who was fretting over her.

“Yes, you told him seven times.” Tikki patted her head. “Now go to sleep.”

“But... what if...”

“He’s coming back in ten minutes, that’s enough time for a nap.”

“Okay...” Marinette turned over and closed her eyes, her consciousness fading.

* * *

She woke up to her phone buzzing, an Instagram notification.

Marinette glanced at it, a picture of Jagged Stone and a vaguely blurry blond.

She grinned as her trap door opened, the vaguely blurry blond poking his head into the room. 

“Hello, Netta.”

“Hey, how was meeting Jagged Stone?”

“Odd, to say the least. He called me “rock and roll” when I am clearly a symphonic metal if anything.”

She giggled, fluffing his hair from her bed.

“He says he hopes you get well soon.”

“I’ll tell him thanks, next time I see him.”

They stared at each other for a moment before an enormous crash sounded from the street.

Marinette reacted instantly, pulling off her earrings and clipping them to Felix’s sleeves.

“Spots on.” 

“Why?”

“I trusted you with Jagged’s commissions, Felix, I can trust you with Paris. Now say spots on.”

He did and after a kiss, Crimson Bug swung out the window to save Paris.

Marinette smiled fondly and, without Tikki’s prompting, went back to sleep.

* * *

“Welcome class, to trust week!” Miss Bustier clapped, gesturing to the gym. “You’ll all split up into pairs and go through the stations, and hopefully, you’ll learn how much you trust your friend.”

Marinette felt her favorite hand wrap around hers. 

“After delivering commissions for you, this will be a piece of cake.” He whispered.

“Agreed.”

“Okay!” A friendly looking man clapped his hands. “First off, do we have any couples here?”

Multiple hands raised.

“Good! We usually do at these kinds of things. So what I want you to do is unlock your phone and give it to your partner.”

“What?” Alya shouted.

“I’m not gonna do anything to your phone.” Nino placed a hand to her shoulder. “I have one of my own, you know.” 

“Yeah,” she murmured softly, passing him the phone, “okay.”

Marinette passed her phone to Felix without a second thought, grabbing his at the same time. 

“Excuse me, you two,” the man looked at them, “you need to unlock your phones.”

Felix gave him an unimpressed glance and swept his finger against the screen, Marinette’s apps coming into view.

Marinette did the same, going onto the messaging app and texting herself.

** Fe 💙 : Aw, you have a heart on my name?  **

** Netta 💝 : You have the same for me, so I wouldn’t talk. **

“Aw! These pictures are so cute, Juleka! Can you send them to me!”

“You better not have touched my blog.” Alya growled.

“You mean that thing I just deleted?” 

“What!”

“I’m joking, relax.”

She snickered, casting a glance at Felix who was doing the same. 

“Next exercise, an old classic, the trust fall. But with a twist. You can choose to fall back, with your arms out, but from this platform, or fall forwards while blindfolded from the ground.”

“We’ll go first!”

Mylene climbed to the top of the platform and plummeted with her arms out. Ivan caught her easily, holding her close until she was back on the ground.

As soon as they had cleared, Marinette accepted the blindfold from the man and climbed up the platform. She tied it around her eyes swiftly and fell forwards into a somersault. She was caught by Felix easily and was placed on her feet with all the grace of a gymnast. 

“Okay, you two can sit the rest of this out.” The man pointed them to a bench. “You obviously trust each other very much.”

They grinned at each other and Marinette pulled him to the bench, leaning on his shoulder as they watched the rest of the class do the activity.

“Oh! Right!” She pulled out a small pot with a just slightly blooming flower. “Here’s your entry. It was doing pretty well on my balcony.” 

“Ah, thank you. Now that it’s almost blooming, I can do my part of the job.” He placed it in a special pocket of his bag.

“Hey, Felix?”

“Yes angel?”

“Thanks for trusting me with something that important to you.”

“You trusted me first.” 


	23. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kisses are the best healing remedy.

Felix could name any of the love languages and how to identify them in people. He could then describe how to show someone love using their love language. He even dabbled with writing a love advice column for a short time.

But when it came to his own relationship with Marinette? He was lost.

Marinette was constantly showering him in her own brand of affection.

She had a natural gift for knowing what he needed and getting it as soon as or even before he needed it.

It was difficult to measure up to the constant love Marinette showed to everyone, especially him. 

Whenever he tried to show her the same amount of love, she would have something already planned for them both. 

Which is why Felix decided to do what he did best; organize. 

He wrote down a list of her love languages, wrote down a plan, prepared everything on a single sheet of paper...

...and then the paper blew away in the breeze and flew into a puddle.

He was lost, organizing failed him and there was no way he could just do nothing while Marinette showers him with every bit of kindness she can muster.

He would just have to take opportunity as it arrived.

* * *

Felix was lounging on Marinette’s chaise, writing bits of poetry in his notebook as he watched an angel at work.

She was at her desk, hand stitching the last bits to her newest design. Her “Mona Lisa,” as she called it.

It was awe inspiring to see her work, fingers gracefully pulling the needle back and forth, every stitch exactly where she wanted it to be.

The needle flew between her fingers, dancing around them but never once-

“Ow!” Marinette reeled back and squeezed her finger. “That one really got me good.”

_Take opportunity as it presents itself._

Felix leapt from where he was laying and pulled Marinette’s hand to him, placing a kiss to the top of the bleeding finger.

“Fe-Felix, what are you doing?”

“Healing you.” He whispered, placing another kiss where another needle inflicted scratch was laying. 

He trailed kissed up and down her fingers, until there wasn’t even a scar on her hand that hadn’t been kissed by Felix. 

He smile up at her, “Better?”

She nodded, covering her pink face with her free hand. 

“Why?”

“Because I adore you, Netta, and I have to show it somehow.”

He placed a final kiss to the back of her hand and walked back to the chaise, sprawling onto it and propping his head up on his hands.

Marinette sat there still, staring at her hand. 

Felix grinned at her, and he was given a look that was so innocent, so pure, so... loving, that his hands dropped and his head banged on the arm of the chaise.

He shouted in surprise and fell off onto the floor.

Marinette giggled and crouched in front of him.

“Want me to kiss it better?”

He flipped onto his back, looking up at her. 

“Yes please.”


	24. Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a school dance, a momentary fight breaks out.

Felix prepared himself for the American 1950’s dance at the school. 

He put on his leather jacket and slicked back his hair, hoping that it was truly period accurate. 

The minute he arrived, he regretted being there. 

It was loud and dark, with many people crammed into one space.

He placed himself next to the punch bowl, scanning the room for Marinette.

The second his eyes landed on her, all regrets disappeared.

She was radiant in her hand sewn dress, with a ladybug hidden in the folds. She spun around and around, her dress fanning out around her.

When she saw him, her smile seemed to light the school, and she began to skip over, but Lila Rossi slid in front of him before she could get there, folding her hand out in a coy manner.

“Come on, snake, let’s rattle.”She smirked.

_Come on snake, let’s rattle._

_A 1950’s phrase used to either invite someone to dance, or to challenge someone to a fight._

Felix liked the idea of a fight.

“Are you certain?” Felix asked, ensuring that he was playing his cards right. “You know what this saying means?”

“I certainly do,” she leaned forwards, “so what do you say?”

Felix said nothing, but after he had kicked Lila’s legs out from under her, the class certainly had plenty to say.

“What the heck!” Alya stepped forwards.

Felix’s eyes darted to Marinette, who had a familiar look on her face. 

The brainstorming look.

“Great acting, Lila!” She clapped enthusiastically. “You too, Fe!”

“What are you talking about?” Alya demanded. “Felix just attacked Lila!”

“That’s why they did so well! We all planned this little performance to encourage everyone else to really immerse themselves in the time period.”

“Lila came up to me and said ‘come on snake, let’s rattle,’ which means either ‘let’s fight’ or ‘let’s dance.’” Felix explained. “And since she couldn’t be asking me to dance, as I am dating omg Marinette and she has told all of you she is in a secret relationship with Prince Ali, the only other logical conclusion was that she was challenging me to a fight.”

“And you both played the part wonderfully!” Marinette grinned, turning to the class. “Don’t you think?”

“Yeah! I really believed all of you.” Rose squealed.

“I guess it was pretty convincing...”

“Yes, thank you!” Lila grinned. “I’ve studied under dozens of famous actors so I really do know how to put on a show.”

“I say.” Felix muttered.

As Lila stood up, she pulled on his arm. “This isn’t over.”

“I think it is.” Marinette stepped forward and separated them, sending Lila of with the phoniest grin Felix had ever seen in her face.

“And look everyone!” She raised her voice. “Lila is even limping! Such a great method actor.”

Lila gave a painful smile and disappeared into the crowd, likely to attempt to find solace in the attention.

Good, now he could focus on Marinette.

She tapped his shoulder, standing on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “Not that I’m complaining, but do that again and I am _not_ covering for you.”

“I assure you, it won’t become a daily occurrence.”

She giggled. “It better not.”

A slow ballad began to play, and Felix grabbed Marinette’s hand, pulling her to the dance floor. 

“What do you say, my snake? Shall we rattle?”

She smiled and punched his arm lightly, before placing her hands on his shoulders.

“‘Kay.”

They swayed to the music, Felix staring at Marinette’s bluebell eyes, still gleaming with amusement from the momentary fight that occurred.

_I would do it a thousand times over, just to see that smile again._

That smile was worth a fight or two.


	25. Clientele

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette enlists Felix’s help with the bakery during her parents’ anniversary. He finds the customers... difficult to say the least.

“Are you sure you’d like me to help you with this?” Felix looked around bewildered. “You know I’m not exactly the best person for baking.”

“That’s why you’ll be working at the counter.” Marinette pushed him to the register. “You already have a great customer service voice, so I think you’ll be great at it.”

“Customer service voice?” 

“Some of our clientele can be a bit... difficult.” She winced. “You seem good at dealing with difficult people.”

“That I am.” He nodded and stood at the register dutifully. 

Marinette hummed, adding some much needed sound to the too-silent setting.

The bell rang lightly, and a man waltzed in. 

“Hello, I’m here for a cake.”

“What is your name?”

“Josiah.”

“Marinette,” he turned, “cake for ‘Josiah?’”

“Right here!” Marinette came out carrying a box that was taller than her. “A three layer chocolate cake.” 

He peered at the cake through the thin plastic and frowned.

“It’s upside down.” He remarked.

“What?” Marinette peeked at the cake. “I thought it looked alright.”

“No, I wanted the smallest layer on the bottom, this has the smallest layer on the top.” 

She pulled a piece of paper from a pink folder. “You didn’t specify that on your order...”

“I most certainly did!” His chest rose in indignation. 

“I’m sorry sir, but we must not have heard you.”

“I am not taking this cake.” 

“Alright, we can-“ 

“You better make me another one, free of charge. And make it snappy, I need to take it in one hour.”

“Sir I’m afraid that’s...” Felix placed a hand on Marinette’s shoulder.

“No. If you want a cake, you will take this one.”

“Excuse me?” The man spluttered.

“If you specifically wanted the cake a certain way, you should have ensured that they knew that.

“You didn’t, do you have no right to get so worked up over an impossible cake. And asking for it to be remade, free of charge in under an hour? It’s an even more impossible task, and you are trying to place it upon _children_.” 

“But...” The man seemed to be losing whatever bravado he once had.

“No. If you want a cake, you will take and pay for this one. If not, then we have the right to refuse service and we will refuse you.”

The man huffed and slammed the bills on the counter, grabbing the cake and stomping away.

“I hope he chokes on it.” Felix muttered, turning to see Marinette looking at him with a smile. “What?”

“I knew you’d be good at this.”

* * *

The rest of the day went relatively smoothly, save a few impolite customers and one woman who thought they were selling vegetables.

That is, until four o’clock. 

Marinette froze abruptly and stuttered out that she was going back to check inventory and that they can close at five-thirty.

Almost as soon as she was gone, a cocky-looking boy, maybe a little older than Felix, waltzed in.

“Hello,” Felix said, repeating what he had said over and over all day, “welcome to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Is there anything I can get you?”

“Yeah.” He leaned on the counter. “What’s the name of that pigtailed girl that works here sometimes?”

His eyes narrowed. “Marinette.”

“And where is she right now?”

“She’s not here.”

He rolled his eyes. “Right, I figured that out myself, Sherlock. But where is she?”

Felix shrugged. “What do you need her for?”

“I want to ask her out on a date.”

“And this is the only place you could think to find her?”

“Well, it’s the place I first asked her out.”

“And she refused?”

“Yeah,” he waved his hand nonchalantly, “something about some boyfriend. I wasn’t buying it though, so I came back the next day.”

“So you’re harassing her.” Felix clenched his fist. 

“I would say harassing, just persuading.”

“And your... persuasion doesn’t make her uncomfortable?”

He shrugged. 

Felix inhaled sharply. “Are you going to order anything?”

“Nah,” he looked Felix up and down, noting his aggressive tone and posture, “who are you again?”

Felix straightened. “My name is Felix, I am Marinette’s boyfriend, and if you’re not going to buy anything, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

The boy squinted at Felix. “Really? You’re the guy she’s been rejecting me for?” 

“Yes, now leave.”

The boy obviously knew at this point that he was not going to get any farther in this conversation, and put his hands in the air.

“Sure thing man, but why she chose you, I’ve go no clue. Prepare to get dumped when you least expect it.”

With that, he left, the bell on the door jingling as if in jubilation of being rid of him.

He pulled out his phone, easily pulling Marinette’s contact up. 

** Fe 💙 : He’s gone, you can come out now. **

Marinette stepped out of the back timidly. 

“He usually stays until closing.” She remarked, her voice contrastingly bold. “Did you scare him away?”

“Doubt it, but he won’t be coming back for at least a week. You really weren’t joking about having difficult clientele.”

She pecked his cheek, “Thanks.” Even through her relief, Felix could see the lingering fear in her eyes. 

“Say, there’s only an hour or so until we have to close, what do you think about closing just a little earlier?”

Her smile said it all.  


* * *

When Sabine and Tom came back from their anniversary date, they were greeted with the vision of Marinette and Felix cuddling on the couch and watching a movie. 

Needless to say, they felt safer with asking Marinette to cover shifts on her own as long as Felix was right alongside her.


	26. Fighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila loves breaking up couples. Felix and Marinette are her target for the day.

_ “Felix and Marinette are fighting.” _

Lila was good at breaking up couples; it was her first talent. It all just came from there, lying to see the falling out of two insufferably loving people, and she learned that she could using lying for her too.

She’d been having a bad day, so when she saw Marinette and Felix come into class at a different time, a rare occurrence, it was like a gift from heaven.

“It’s so sad, really.” She looked down, drawing in more girls from the class. “I was there after it happened. I didn’t really know what was going on, but I was obviously the first person Marinette had seen after the fight, because she just broke down and was sobbing into my shoulder.”

“Poor Marinette!” Rose covered her mouth.

“Yeah, she was a mess, blubbering on and on about how mortified she was to find out he was cheating on her.”

A gasp rippled through the girls. 

“Cheating?” Alix squinted, skeptical. “Felix? That guy’s more devoted to Marinette then Kim is to his dares.”

“I know, but that’s what she said. Something about Kagami too.” She added, figuring why not kill two birds with one stone.

“Kagami?” The look that passed over Alya’s face was almost better than the possibility of her two least favorite couples in school.

Almost. 

“Yeah, I almost went to go give her a piece of my mind, but Marinette really needed some comfort from me.”

“That was really nice of you, thanks for being for her when I couldn’t.” Alya smiled, but there was a rage behind her glasses.

_Good_. Lila was going to need that for later in her plan.

* * *

“...and then he just broke down! Right in front of me!” Lila brushes away an imaginary tear. 

“That’s seems unlikely.” Max adjusted his glasses. “Out of all of us, Felix seems is the most emotionally withdrawn. Third to me and Chloe.”

“I know, I was so surprised when it happened. He just crumpled down the onto the floor, whispering something about Marinette and how she always did have a crush on him... Ant ideas on who the ‘him’ could be?”

Ivan tapped his chin. “I could be...”

“No way, man!” Nino shook his head. “No way.”

“Yeah,” Kim agreed, “Marinette is more dedicated to Felix than I am to my dares.”

“Yeah...” Lila mused. “Probably, I’m just worried though, if Marinette was actually cheating on him like he said...”

“It would break him.” Nathaniel finished. He glanced at the other boys. “We may want to watch out, just in case.”

The others nodded in agreement. 

“I knew I could count on you.” Lila pressed her hands on her chest, rejoicing both in and out. 

This was gonna be good.

* * *

Lila has been watching Marinette and Felix all day, making sure no one got too close to see that they weren’t actually fighting. 

Soon, she would convince Alya to go up to Marinette and apologize for Felix’s ‘cheating.’ 

Marinette would think her words accurate and confront Felix, for him to mention that Ivan told him that she was cheating on him.

Hopefully, the same thing would be happening to Adrien and Kagami, and breaking up would ensue with both pairs.

It was an old routine, but one that never failed to succeed, even with the closest of couples.

“Felix! Marinette!” Crap. She had forgotten about Adriens inane dedication to his friends.

“You’re fighting? Please don’t break up!” He was practically on his knees, begging. “You’re my OTP!”

“Adrien? What are you talking about?” Marinette tilted her head in an insidiously concerned way.

“Sabrina told Chloe who told me that you two were fighting. I told Kagami and she almost ran Paul through with her foil.” He took one of each of their hands, pushing them together. 

“She agrees with me. Felinette for _life_!”

At this point, the rest of the class was gathering closer, murmuring their curiosities. 

Felix scanned through crowd with calculated eyes. 

“Who all thinks Marinette and I are fighting?”

When no one made any movement to show that they did, Felix said it again. 

“Come on, just a show of hands. Who though Marinette and I were in a fight?” 

One by one, each member of the class rose their hand, which a sheepish look on their faces. 

Felix rolled his eyes. “Well, I suppose, you were right...”

Adrien groaned hopelessly, almost melting to his knees. 

“...but not in the manner you would expect.”

Marinette smiled and followed Felix out the door, and guided the class to the park. 

Lila crept forwards, trailing behind them by a few steps. 

The couple stood across from each other, in determined stances.; boxing gloves and odd helmets on their hands and heads.

Without warning, they lunged are each other, Felix jabbing above Marinette’s head as she ducked, laying a blow to his stomach. 

The class watched transfixed and Adrien climbed up onto a bench, shouting, “Go Felix! Go Marinette!” 

Finally, they stopped.

Marinette whipped off her helmet, flashing a smile to the class. 

“We’ve been taking boxing lessons.” She said, taking off her gloves and placing them in a duffle bag no one noticed. 

“I thought it would be a good idea, considering the... situations Marinette’s been put through by people who shall not be named.”

“That doesn’t explain why you both came in at different times.” Alya, faultily journalistic as ever, recalled.

Marinette blinked for a moment. “I slept in.”

“As did I, but it seems out definitions of ‘sleeping in’ are rather different.”

“Wait, Alya. I thought you knew.” Marinette stared at her with wide eyes. ”We’ve been practicing with your sister. At your house.” 

“Oh.” Alya blushed. “Well, I’ve been pretty busy with babysitting, and the Ladyblog and...” 

“It’s fine.” Marinette turned to the rest of the class and raised her voice. “But next time you think we’re fighting, come talk to us.”

“Before following baseless accusations.” Felix finished. “After all, rumors are not as they seem.” 

Lila could have sworn they stared straight at her when they said it.


	27. Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is betrothed to someone, but her heart only belongs to Felix. Running away is the only option.

Nature wasn’t all that great.

At least, that was what Marinette tried to tell herself whenever she was rushed away from the forest bordering most of the village. 

She loved her village, and all of its traditional customs, she did. 

At least, that was what she said after she had to sit through another betrothal ceremony, even her own. 

Especially Felix’s. 

She had been in love with Felix for three years, and he in love with her for all three and then another two.

The betrothal made the danger of their relationship, the severity of the punishment, all the more real.

People caught in a relationship outside of betrothal weren’t punished, only forced into betrothal earlier than fourteen or fifteen. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t like her betrothed, Nino was a great guy, but not her type.

Felix just blatantly hated Lila, though. She lied and flirted with any warm body she could get her hands on and both Felix and Lila loathed her. 

So they loved in secret, with stolen kisses in the dark, as close to the forest as they could muster, a deep seeded superstition keeping them from venturing deeper. 

They’d been told since childhood that the forest was the source of dark magic; the craft of the fae. 

While some things from their childhood didn’t stick, others remained, and that was the legend of Adrien and Kagami, two lovers who escaped their betrothals.

Kagami was an ice cold warrior and Adrien was a sheltered son of a baron. 

It was impossible for them to be together, Adrien was promised to the Mayor’s daughter and Kagami was to be sent to the army as soon as she reached adulthood.

So, in the dead of night, they escaped to the forest, despite the myths of black magic, and were never heard from again. 

Felix would mutter about how idiotic the myth was. 

“They ran into the forest? Instead of vacating to another time? What sort of fools were they?”

“Lovesick ones.”

And he could grumble and snort, but Marinette could tell that there was till some lingering fear by the way he would walk closer to the trees when they strolled, keeping her farther away.

Neither of them acknowledged the looming marriages facing them both when they were together; there was never enough time to talk about it.

But then, the unimaginable happened. 

Marinette was woken up by her parents standing anxiously over her bed. 

“Marinette, you’re getting married next week.”

“What?!” It was impossible, she had a year or two left, at least.

They shared an uneasy glance. 

“Nino’s family has suspicions that he’s in love with the town reporter. They don’t want us to ship him off, so we’ve agreed for an early wedding.” 

She felt a single tear trail it’s way down her face. 

“Aw, it’s alright dear. I’m sure that once you’re married, Nino will be a devoted husband.” Tom smiled and patted her shoulder. 

“Tom, why don’t you go and open the bakery? Marinette and I need to have some ‘girl talk.’”

As soon as he had lumbered out, Sabine locker the door, closed all of the curtains and pulled Marinette down to crouch with her beside the bed.

“You’re not going to work all week, if anyone asks, tell them you’re preparing for the big day.”

“Maman, what are you talking about?” She spoke, but her mothers hands were quickly pushed against her mouth. 

“After you’re married, you’ll be safe.” She smiled softly, brushing Marinette’s bangs from her face. “Go to him.”

“What? Wh-who are you talking about?” Marinette felt her face heat up. 

“You can’t hide things like that from your mother, dear.” Sabine cupped her daughter’s face with her hands. “Find him, and spend as much time as you can before next week. I’m sorry things couldn’t be different.” She stood and walked out, stopping as she unlocked the door. 

“I was lucky; I was already in love with your father when I married him. I know your situation is not mine, though.”

And she was gone, leaving Marinette to ponder her situation alone.

* * *

Marinette met Felix behind her house, close to the forest, as usual. 

She pulled him to her desperately, kissing him long and sweet. 

Once they parted, she dropped the news. “I’m getting married.” 

A steely look crossed his eyes. He grabbed her hands and squeezed them tight, like they were the only thing anchoring him to this life. “Not if I have anything to say about it.” 

“What?” 

“I’ll talk to the government, convince them to let us stay together.”

“Felix, you can’t. There’s no getting out of betrothal; they’ll exile us.” 

“Then we’ll run away, leave and never come back.”

“What? Like Adrien and Kagami?” She joked, trying to lessen the mood. 

“I can’t lose you, Netta.” Suddenly the desperation in his eyes became crystal clear.

“Okay.” She spoke without thinking. 

“Okay?” 

“Okay. I’ll do it, I’ll run away.”

Felix collapsed to his knees, bringing Marinette down with him. “Thank you.” He whispered as he drew her closer still. “Thank you.” 

She pulled back, grabbing Felix shoulders to face him. 

“If we’re going to do this we’ll need a plan people are going to be watching me really close.” 

He nodded, a thoughtful look passing over his face. 

“The best time will be when no one expects it; just before the wedding.” 

The rest of the night they plotted, making lists of essentials and what they’d need to prepare beforehand.

In the day, Marinette would stay in her room, sewing her wedding dress, which, in reality, would be perfect for surviving anything nature threw at them.

At night, she would smuggle things out to Felix, who would hide them in holes by the woods.

The morning before her wedding, they would slip away, and take to the road, to find a new life together, in a new town.

If only it were that easy.

* * *

The morning of her wedding, Marinette was never left alone; there was always someone besides her, chattering about how happy they were or how beautiful the dress was. 

They were all right, of course.

The dress was her favorite shade of pink, with embroidered flowers trailing their way up the left side of the skirt. Abandoning tradition, the dress was not floor length; the loose skirt stopped just above her ankles. 

It was perfect for surviving a long journey, if only she could be alone so she could escape. 

Finally, fed up with the dozens of bridesmaids keeping her from Felix, she shouted that she needed be alone for a moment. 

They each gave her a knowing smile and hurried out the door, murmuring about butterflies in her stomach and “hope she doesn’t get cold feet.”

Marinette was finally alone. 

She pulled out the braided rope Felix had brought days earlier and tied it to her bedpost.

Opening her back window, Marinette scanned the room once more, before hiking up her skirts and grabbing the rope to climb down.

“Marinetta! I’ve got your favorite croissants for a snack before you go down the isle!” Tom barged in, holding two trays in his hands. 

Marinette froze as she stared at her father, who was staring right back. 

He didn’t say a word, he only nodded closed the door, and rifled through her closet, pulling out a brown drawstring bag.

He placed every croissant into the bag, adding the loaf of bread and the knife he was holding on the other tray.

He hugged her tight, knocking all the breath out of her before pulling back and handing her the bag with tears in his eyes.

“I always knew I would cry when I saw you in your wedding dress.” He remarked. “I just never thought that it would be the last time I saw you.”

“Papa...” 

“Make sure he takes care of you.” He cupped her face in his enormous hands, making Marinette feel like a little girl again. “I’m proud of you dear; I’ll try to stall for as long as I can.” 

He grabbed the rope and held it tight, signaling Marinette to climb to down. 

Felix was there when she landed, leading her to the hole where they buried the bow and arrows they had made. 

He kissed her temple before beginning to walk to the next hole, stopping abruptly. 

Marinette followed his gaze and saw Lila, smirking and waving a horn in the air.

_A horn like that could signal the whole village._ Marinette realized. 

She reacted instantly, grabbing Felix’s hand and running into the shade of the trees, the horn sounding behind her only pushing her to run faster. 

“Marinette!” Felix yelled. “What are you doing?”

“I’m not losing you. We’ll just have to make due.” 

“Marinette.” Felix dug his feet into the dirt, pulling Marinette to a stop.

“We can’t possibly survive here. We have a few croissants a bow and ten arrows.”

“I don’t care, I can’t just live knowing I left you for a stupid rule and I certainly can’t live being separated from you, which is definitely what’s doing to happen if we go back.”

“Marinette-“ Felix’s lecture halted, as he stared at something in the distance. 

A trail of roses and sunflowers, Adrien and Kagami’s favorite flowers, according to legend.

Marinette glanced at Felix, tugging on his hand, pleading with him silently. 

He nodded and they set off, following the path of flowers.

* * *

The sun had almost set and the trail didn’t seem to be ceasing. 

Marinette shivered, wishing she had added a coat to her dress.

Felix noticed, and draped his jacked over her shoulders, all the while ignoring her glance. 

“I don’t want you to catch pneumonia, of course.”

“Felix, you’ll freeze.” 

“Maybe I will.” He shrugged.

A sudden feeling of remorse cane over her, as she realized how much Felix had given up to be with her.“I’m sorry.” 

He stopped. “Netta, for what could you possibly be sorry for?”

“For dragging you into this mess, loving me can’t possibly be worth dying in the cold.” 

“Netta, you listen to me,” the anger in his voice startled her, “even if I die in this forest today, I will never could never regret having met you.”

“Felix...” Marinette stopped as Felix kissed her. “I love you.”

“I love you too, angel. I could never stop.” 

They were about to lean towards each other again, but a brilliant white light flashed in front of them, drawing Marinette’s attention. 

“Felix!” She gasped. 

A crystal fountain stood in front of them, with a couple sitting at its rim. 

“Hello.” The girl in ruby tones spoke, giving them both a small smile. “I’m Kagami.”

“And I’m Adrien!” A golden boy waved. “Sit with us?”

Marinette gave Felix a cautious look before shrugging and sitting next to Kagami. 

Felix soon walked over as well, placing a hand on hers. 

The other couple gave each other knowing smiles. 

“So, I take it they’re still betrothing people?” Adrien asked.

They nodded, still unsure of what was going on. 

“Is that why you came here?” Kagami probed. “To escape betrothal?”

“Yes.”

“What were you looking for, coming here?” 

Marinette didn’t have an answer to that. 

She glanced at Felix. “I guess I just couldn’t imagine a world where I wasn’t with him, I don’t think I would be able to survive.”

“I didn’t either.” Adrien stared at Kagami. 

“We can help you.” Kagami stared. “We can lead you to a new town, where you can live together and start a new life.” 

“Or?” Felix asked. 

“Or, you can drink from the fountain, become one with nature like us, help us save our old town from self destruction.”

They glanced at each other, a silent debate passing through their eyes. 

“We’ll drink from the fountain.” 

Adrien beamed. “I thought so.” He gestured to the fountain. “Fair warning, it’s kinda weird after your first drink.” 

Marinette cupped her hands, scooping the sparkling water into her mouth, Felix leaning beside her to do the same. 

As soon as she swallowed, something changed. 

She could feel the forest, every tree, every rose and sunflower. 

Marinette turned to Felix, to share this new feeling with him, when she gasped. 

Felix’s eyes were a vibrant ice blue, in contrast to the usual silver they had been in the village. 

Jasmine was growing at his feet, surrounding him and weaving with the pink amaryllises coming from the ground underneath her. 

They stared at each other for a moment, before Felix cleared his throat and knelt before her. 

“Marinette we have been through a lot these three years, we’ve needed to do so much to stay together, and now that I know for certain that I will be with you for all eternity,” he picked up one of the jasmine blooms, twisting the stem into a circle, “I ask you, though I am only fifteen, will you marry me and allow me to be your husband?”

“Yes! Yes!” She jumped to him, causing them both to crash to the ground. She couldn’t bring herself to care as he slipped the makeshift ring onto her finger, her kissing all over his face. 

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.” Adrien clapped and cooed over the couple. 

Years down the road, another couple would escape into the forest, seeking refuge in nature. 

There they would meet a warrior of roses with her prince of sunflowers, and a amaryllis angel with her jasmine defender, and there they could learn that the village was wrong. 

About love, about law, about nature.


	28. Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Felix are fellow kleptomaniacs who get into a thievery war with each other.

Marinette was good at stealing things.

It wasn’t really for any sort of reason; she had been like that since she was little.

When she was five, she snagged her father’s favorite rolling pin, right from under his hands.

When she was seven she took her mothers sewing needle to try her hand at sewing.

It was only when she was ten and she took a family recipe from a close friend that her parents realized that they had been a little too lenient with Marinette’s habits.

They tried everything, but nothing could stop her.

Marinette learned herself that people don’t like it when you take their things, so she used her gifts for something else; gifts.

She would place little macaroons in her friends pockets, accompanied with little notes detailing her impulse to take and how she would give stolen item back in a short while.

She eventually made friends with a newer student, Felix Culpa, a fellow kleptomaniac.

They worked well together, Felix would snag a pen, Marinette would pinch a phone and they would hold each other accountable for returning the item to the rightful owners.

Their classmates were accepting of them, soon growing used to the amazing disappearance of their items. Kim even tried to challenge them to a thievery contest.

It was peaceful.

That is, until her phone went missing.

She looked all over, until she just accepted it was gone.

She went to school the next day a little sad, but brightened up when she saw a phone just laying out on someone’s desk, primed for the taking.

_Her phone._

Upon closer inspection, she realized that this was Felix’s desk, and her phone was sitting rather close to his bag.

This meant war.

She easily looked through his bag, disrupting nothing but the phone she pulled out with two fingers.

_Success_.

She pocketed the phone and went to her seat next to Alya, who was staring at her in surprise.

“You stole from Felix?” She whispered. “You’ve never done that before.”

“He stole from me first,” she replied, scrolling through his phone. “I’m just getting a little revenge.”

But her little revenge would soon turn out to be a lot bigger than she expected.

* * *

The class was chaos. Turns out, random objects going missing in the middle of the day had become routine for all of them and everyone was panicking, looking for the one thing they didn’t have.

Felix and Marinette were not phased in the slightest.

Marinette would pass Felix and leave the room with his tie.

Felix would be sitting in front of Marinette all day and class would conclude with her hair ties on his wrist.

Then, things got a little stranger.

Felix would enter class munching on a specially made macaroon that Alya swore Marinette made only for Adrien.

Marinette would be seem walking down the street weaving a flower crown from flowers that Nino knew he saw Felix buying only minutes ago. On the other side of Paris.

The war was torture for everyone, but Alya felt that she was suffering the most. Watching the two dance around each other and knowing that they were perfect for each other, well it was just painful.

They class prayed for an end to the war, and soon.

* * *

Felix walked calmly to the park, admiring the stars, just barely visible in the dark evening.

“You wanted to see me?” He held up Marinette’s phone, the screensaver depicting the time and place they were meeting at that moment.

“Yeah,” she fiddled with the strap of Felix bag, “Alya wants me to end the war.”

He nodded. “It makes sense that the person who starts a battle must finish it.”

“Exactly. So how are you going to finish this?”

“How am I going to finish this? You started this war.”

“No, you started it when you stole my phone.”

“That?” Felix waves his hand. “That was merely a little revenge.”

“For what, exactly?”

He stepped closer, causing her to tilt her head up just slightly.

He smirked. “For stealing my heart.”

She returned the smile and pulled out one of the valentines he had been working on for her. “Yeah, I figured.”

They walked home side by side, and by the time they got to the door of Marinette’s home, she was wearing his jacket and he was sporting her hair ties on his wrist once again.

* * *

The days after the war had ended, the class was still on edge.

It seemed like the war was still going on; Marinette walked into the classroom with Felix’s tie holding up her ponytail and he was wearing a scarf that just screamed “Marinette.”

But then, things stared disappearing again, and those same familiar notes were left in bags, pockets and hands.

First there was relief, things were back to normal, just as they were supposed to be.

Then, Alya saw Marinette steal a kiss from Felix on their way out of the building and relief turned to elation.

The partners in crime had become parters in life.


	29. Secret Santa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix is Santa.

Felix had hobbies. 

He cooked, knitted, did archery, and occasionally designed jewelry.

He was always straightforward about these hobbies, open to describing and giving tips to any beginner. 

There was one hobby he didn’t exactly like to tell people. 

He was Santa Claus.

Well, not exactly. 

Every Christmas Eve, he had an arrangement with the nurses of the local children’s hospital. He would slip in and, as every child slept, place a gift at the foot of every bed. 

And it was Christmas Eve. 

He walked to the hospital, a large duffel bag slung over his shoulder. The jangle is metal keys startled him slightly, but he soon opened the employee door. 

He nodded to the night staff, passing out the coffee orders he had memorized years ago.

He opened the first door, smiling as he saw Timmy’s informational clipboard.

A miniature cat doll, as always. 

He had just finished the first floor when a red and black vision crashed through the window. 

“Stop now- Felix?” Ladybug startled, falling back. “What are you doing here?” 

“This is just a hobby of mine, I’ve been volunteering with my mother since I was ten; I know every child by name and they know me.” 

“What do you do if they see you?” She caught on quickly, taking in the bag and Felix’s silent tip-toeing.

“I try to convince them that they’re dreaming.” He chuckled and rubbed his neck. 

“What if...” She opened her yo-yo and withdrew a box. “They has their gifts delivered by superheroes this year?”

“You just have an extra miraculous on you?” 

She shrugged humbly. “I like to be prepared.” 

He accepted the bee miraculous and clipped the pin to his lapel, pressing his forehead to Pollen’s before transforming. 

“Buzz on.” 

Ladybug leaned against the wall, smiling at him. “You gonna need any help?”

“No, thank you, Netta. I would rather do this on my own.” 

“Kay, you know where to find me.”

He pecked her lips before continuing on his way, finishing his job twice as fast. 

He swung away from the hospital by the roof, admiring the snow and glisten of the town. 

He landed on Marinette’s balcony, knocking on her trap door. 

She crawled up, peeking at him through barely opened eyes. 

“Fe? What’re you doing here?” 

“I’ve come to return the miraculous.” 

“How would you get home without the miraculous?” 

“Oh, right.” He rubbed his neck sheepishly. “Forgot about that.”

“Besides,” she continued, “it’s was meant to be a gift. I want you to keep it, be a permanent holder.” 

“Thank you Netta.” He opened his spinning top and pulled out a small box. “I have something for you as well.”

She opened it and gasped. “Felix, it’s...”

“The perfect necklace for your newest design. I’ve been working on it for some time.” 

“It’s beautiful.” She crawled out of her room fully and stood in front of him, balancing on her toes to kiss him. 

“Merry Christmas, Marinette.”

“Merry Christmas, Felix.”

After one last kiss, Felix flung his top into the Parisian night, swung his way home.

Once comfortable in his sheets and Pollen content in her little makeshift hive, Felix closed his eyes, only to reopen them at the sound of his phone buzzing. 

** Netta 💝 : I know you’re probably about to go to sleep but I just realized something **

** Netta 💝 : Your gift giving at the hospital makes you a secret Santa! **

** Netta 💝 : Isn’t that neat? **

Felix rolled his eyes at her pun before texting Marinette a quick goodnight and falling asleep, visions of bees and ladybugs dancing in his head.

_Secret Santa, I like that._


	30. Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has an odd soulmate bond with Felix.

Soulmate bonds were really weird. Especially Marinette’s.

Hers was typical, the red string of fate. With a twist.

For every step closer Marinette came to her soulmate, the string shortened but it wouldn’t lengthen until they had their first kiss.

Her mother quickly found a way around this, having Tom carry Marinette until she was six.

After six, they realized that they couldn’t just carry Marinette forever, and they needed an option where she could sleep in her home and know her soulmate was doing the same.

An organization for the “soulmate struggling,” people who have difficulties in daily life because of the bond they and their soulmate share, came to them and offered to help.

Marinette’s problem was an easy fix; a wheelchair.

She was overjoyed to know she would never have to sleep outside or play an odd game of tug-of-war with her fate string.

She was, however, a little sad that she wouldn’t be able to walk until she was ready to find her soulmate.

Then she became Ladybug, and things got so much more difficult.

—

She had first tried to give the earrings away, to an old friend from the hospital, Nino.

But then Nino doubled over, and Marinette remembered why he was in the hospital in the first place; he shared a pain bond with his soulmate. Paris couldn’t have a Ladybug who got phantom pains out of nowhere.

So she remained as Ladybug, swinging as much as she could and having Chat Noir carry her when need be.

It seemed to be going well, but then Soul Savior came into play.

* * *

She was an akuma who shot others with a crossbow, sending them to their soulmate.

Marinette thought she was safe; she and Chat Noir agreed to pretend they were platonic soulmates until Hawkmoth’s capture.

But then a bright flash knocked her to the ground and a blond boy stood over her.

He looked at her and made to step forwards, his hand out in a silent offer.

“No!” She held out her hands, effectively stopping him.

He caught on, stopping as he was, one foot just slightly lifted.

This was bad.

Not breaking eye contact, she grabbed her yo-yo and called Chat Noir.

“Hey, yeah, I’m meeting my soulmate. How fast can you get here and carry him far away?”

A nearby crash answered that question.

The boy was scooped up and carted away to Tikki-knows-where, and Marinette swung her yo-yo to go stop Soul Savior.

Later that night, she would meet with Chat Noir for patrol and ask about him, where he was put, if he was safe, if Chat knew his name.

He would laugh and answer each question, before humming about his soulmate, a fencer with a heart of steel.

“I gave her a rose today.” He sighed. “I think she almost smiled.”

This was nothing new for them, soulmate talks. They had a lengthy conversation about them the first time they met; it strengthened their partnership.

But today, her mind was just out of it. She couldn’t help but think about that blue eyed boy.

Would he tell anyone else about his encounter? Was he thinking about her right now?

Marinette fell asleep with those same wonders.

* * *

Weeks later, there was another Mr. Pigeon incident, there wasn’t even a need for a Lucky Charm.

She swung to the school, where she had left her wheelchair, and landed, a foot away from the supply closet.

A step or two won’t hurt. She reasoned.

Marinette inched forwards slightly, feeling a slight pull behind her.

She darted around and immediately fell into a vaguely familiar blond stranger; her soulmate.

He stared, open eyes at her, taking in the suit, the mask, everything.

She stared back at him, taking in his icy eyes, his composed suit, his now-messy hair.

“Marinette! Gurl where are you?”

She locked eyes with the stranger under her, panic speeding up her thoughts.

_I can’t be seen out here as Ladybug and I can’t move too far from him until we kiss._

The conclusion came quickly.

She sprung to her feet, swinging the vanilla boy over her shoulder like a sack of flour and ran him into the supply closet.

“Spots off.” She breathed, allowing the magic to illuminate her mystery soulmate’s features. “Hi.”

“Hello. My name is Felix Culpa, and you, evidently, are my soulmate.”

“Yeah,” she laughed, “I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

It was then that their situation dawned on her.

“Sooo, do we kiss now, or…” She trailed off, giving him a conflicted look. “‘Cause I’ve got a class in a few minutes.”

“Oh, of course.” He placed a hand on her chin, angling it up.

His breath teased her lips for a second, before he connected his lips to hers.

Suddenly, every poem, every quote, they all made sense.

She and Felix just fit, like nothing she had ever felt before, they fit.

As his hands found themselves on her lower back and her arms wrapped around his neck, drawing him nearer, Marinette was struck with the overwhelming desire to know how his hand felt in hers.

“Mari? You in here?” Light flooded the tiny space and Marinette noticed what kind of position they were in.

She was on her knees on her discarded wheelchair, pulling herself close to Felix who was standing next to the chair, one hand bracing himself and the other on her back.

“Heeeey, Alya…” Marinette forced a smile on her face, sliding from her chair to her feet. “So, I found my soulmate. This is Felix.”

He nodded to her.

“Girl, you found your soulmate? What’s he doing here? I’ve never seen him in the school? I want details, you hear me? Details!”

“We didn’t exactly have a lot of time to talk before…”

A look of understanding crossed her face. “Right.” She smirked. “I’ll leave you to it then, but after school…”

“I know, I know, details.” Marinette sighed with a smile, watching her best friend give her a thumbs up while walking backwards up the stairs. She tripped and a loud “Ow!” could be heard from across the school.

“Sorry babe!” Alya gave Marinette one last wink before she disappeared from view.

“So, why are you here?” Marinette turned her attention back to Felix. “Did I drag you here as Ladybug?”

“No, I recently moved and this school is closer to my place of residence, so I was coming to apply.”

“Oh!” She bounced on her toes. “That’s nice.”

She pulled the wheelchair out of the closet and began her wobbly walk home, to drop off the wheelchair.

She was soon reminded of her inexperience with walking when she fell back into Felix arms.

“Sorry, I’ve never been able to do this before; it gonna take some getting used to.”

He smirked down at her. “It’s going to take _you_ some getting used to? Try being pulled through the air and into buildings every time there’s an akuma attack. I’ll finally be able to bunker down and hide like the rest of sane Paris.”

She giggled and used his arm to support her. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine, I knew who my soulmate was earlier than most. It’s just unfortunate that I couldn’t introduce myself before I got a concussion.”

“I’m glad we met now though.” She commented.

“As am I.”


End file.
